Home PublicationsJRTEPast IssuesVolume 28 Number 5

Edited by Diane McGrath

Volume 28 Number 5 Summer 1996

What do Freehand and Computer-Facilitated Drawings Tell Teachers About the Children Who Drew Them? Data–Case Reports Cambell, Fairbanks

University of Texas at Austin

Case Report: Drew Campbell

Created with a Touch- Sensitive Graphics Tablet	Created with  Logo Commands	Created with  Handheld Tools

...he's cautious about going into new things. Prefers to do it when he knows exactly what he's supposed to do and that he can accomplish it. And that has been a trait since he was little. He was not a toddler who would rummage in closets and go where he wasn't supposed to go. (Mrs. Campbell)

Drew's parents (who chose to be interviewed collaboratively by telephone, even though the researcher's request was to collect data from just one) also mentioned that Drew takes his schoolwork very seriously, and is very sensitive to criticism. He "likes to learn a lot," and prefers to operate in a classroom where he knows exactly what is expected of him. Drew expressed a similar preference for structure during his interview.

According to his parents, Drew is very comfortable with adults, and generally wants to please them.

He is more shy with his own peers, and, in fact, when he started school [after]...we moved, I was more concerned about his...fitting in with [his own] peer group.
(Mrs. Campbell)

...even though he's very, very bright, he's not the type of kid--he will correct you...he's inquisitive, but he's also very polite. I guess that he's been taught [to respect] authority.

Interestingly, Ms. Turner described Drew's hesitancy to involve himself in new situations very early in her interview, as did Drew's parents. She also noted that Drew was "very, very caring" and that that grew in intensity as the year went on. At one point during the discussion, she said, "Gosh, he's just--he really is a unique character." When asked to define what was unique about Drew, when compared to other able students, she said that his levels of interest, motivation, and task committment are unusually high. She also mentioned his unusually long attention span (as did his parents), and his "wealth of knowledge." Also like Drew's parents, Ms. Turner said that Drew wants to do his best at everything, and although she "wouldn't say he's a perfectionist," she suspected that he may be becoming one as he matures.

Academics. When asked what his favorite school subject was, Drew quickly answered, "I know my least favorite," but then went on to say that his favorites are Math and Science. When queried as to his reasoning behind these choices, Drew said,

Well, I kind of want to be an astronaut when I grow up, and I like physics, and all that. I'm reading a sophomore-year-in-college physics book instead of bedtime stories.

I like the idea that you can--I just learned that you can measure time with space; meters per second that light travels.

Drew expressed some frustration with the level of mathematics instruction at school:

Well, half the stuff at school I already learned because my dad teaches me stuff early. I already know how to do square roots and long division and the rest of my class barely knows how to do short division.

Respondent: I know how to use latitude and longitude. There's no other way to use it. You use it to locate places, and find places. That's all you use it for. You can't learn anything else about that.

 

Interviewer: So you'd rather learn things like ideas in Physics or Math that you can apply to a lot of different situations?

 

Respondent: Right.

Drew's parents, like his teacher, pointed out that whatever Drew begins to explore, he usually investigates deeply, with great interest, going long beyond what is officially expected of him with regard to school assignments. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell believe that many of these investigations are scientific because he "gets more opportunities, [for example], watching Mr. Wizard on television."

Ms. Turner also did not hesitate when naming Drew's two favorite school subjects: Math and Science. She, like Drew, and to some extent, Drew's parents, said that Drew enjoys problem-solving in Math and learning new ideas in Science. She added that Drew enjoys finding as many different ways to solve a problem as possible, but that getting the right answer is very important to him. Drew's parents expressed the same ideas.

Interestingly, Ms. Turner also named Social Studies as one of Drew's favorites, but "not as much [as Science] because a lot of what we studied in Social Studies had [already] been explored...it wasn't all brand new." Drew was quite definite about what school subjects he does not enjoy; Social Studies and Health. Why? "They're the most boring things you could ever have in school....The books are the worst books ever written....They don't make them interesting for the children." Drew felt that most of the information taught in these two subjects was information that children his age already knew, or had been taught before, and so, in his eyes, the time spent on these subjects is wasted time. Drew's parents were not able to think of any school subject that, to their knowledge, he dislikes. His mother mentioned that sometimes he dislikes writing, but that changes as soon as he gets an idea for a story.

One time, right after we moved, he disappeared upstairs and started writing a story...about a unicorn that had two horns and slippery hooves and was different from other unicorns. It was not a class assignment; it was not something that we suggested he do, and it was a really clever and involved story where things that happened in the 53 beginning played an important role in the outcome.

Ms. Turner named only creative writing as a school subject that Drew doesn't seem to enjoy. She said that he has no trouble gathering and interpreting facts, then communicating them in written form, but that he has a harder time with creative written expression of his ideas. It seems that Drew's parents' unicorn story may have been offered as an example of an exception to a generalization about Drew, so perhaps they would not disagree with Ms. Turner's observations.

Drew named writing non-fictional pieces as among his favorite school-related activities. He also expressed a clear perference for reading non-fiction material, which both his parents and his teacher noted during their interviews, also. Drew believes that "you can learn more from non-fiction." All three informants also mentioned Drew's passion for doing and sharing research projects, especially those that incorporate constructing some sort of model to demonstrate an idea. Drew and his parents also mentioned that he enjoys exploring in natural settings. Ms. Turner characterizes Drew's activity choices as "open-ended." She also said that Drew especially enjoys field trips, and doing oral presentations. In general, Drew seems to her to do better with oral expression than with written expression, although he has the prerequisite skills to do either very well.

Drew expressed a clear preference for being in classes with children whom he perceives to be on a similar academic level to his own.

...they should put all of the [children] that pick up things fast in one class, and you could move along through the year a lot faster. Instead of dwelling on subtraction when you know how to do division perfectly well...I could probably do two years[' work] in one year.

Drew said that he had been quite upset when he found out that he had had a chance to skip second grade, but that his parents decided against the move, for fear that he would be too young socially for his classmates.

Drew's attitudes about homework are basically tolerant.

Most homework is all right, except we had to keep a journal last year and...it's like father, like son: my dad has to turn in time sheets with which he kept his time...and he always ends up doing them on the last day....And I have twenty days of journal to write, and I have not written one of them. And it's the last day of the month and it's due the next morning, and...I just have to write it all night....I like to write for homework as long as it's non-fiction.

Drew's parents made similar observations, adding that it is sometimes difficult to get Drew to begin his homework, but once he does start, he will work late into the night if it is necessary, and doesn't mind not getting much sleep. Ms. Turner said that Drew always does his homework completely and very well, going beyond the requirements of most assignments. She did not mention any awareness of Drew's occasional procrastination of a long-term assignment, such as his journal.

Drew's problem-solving processes are quite logical and carefully sequenced.

...first you look at the question that was asked, which is normally the last sentence [in the problem], and then you go back and look at what you need to answer the question. If it's not there or you don't have enough information to solve it, then you find out what you need and you just use that to figure it out.

...if you don't know how to solve the problem right then you've got to learn how to solve it right. If you know how to solve it right, then it's obvious that you don't need to learn how to solve it right. And then you can go on...I mean you've got to know how to solve the problem right for life if you ever have to use it...I mean, if you're at work and you have to figure out a problem that the boss gives you then you have to get it right...if you're designing a building and you mess up on one rafter then the building can collapse....Being right is very important.

Drew's parents described his problem-solving process as very logical, sequential, and hierarchically structured. They stressed that "he thinks about how to solve the problem [most efficiently] before he dives into it." They also mentioned that he makes excellent use of reference materials and libraries. Drew's teacher described him as a "very persisitent" problem-solver, who likes to find as many possible ways to solve a single problem as possible. She also said that she "could see him thinking," and that he prefers to do most of his work on problems in his head, verbalizing his thought processes, instead of using paper and pencil. She remarked on his willingness to use reference materials, but mentioned this only in conjunction with his becoming frustrated with a problem whose solution method was not immediately apparent. By implication, this does not disagree with what Drew's parents said about his use of reference materials in problem-solving.

Ms. Turner said that Drew enjoys challenging academic problems; they do not upset him, and he prefers to solve problems on his own, rather than work on them collaboratively. Interpersonal problems are not easy for Drew to handle, in her opinion. She recalled several times when interpersonal difficulties would make him cry, and said that he tended to either give in to others' wishes completely, or remove himself from the difficult situation without reaching any sort of compromise. Drew's parents said that interpersonal difficulties with his older sister usually result in some physical expression of his frustration; more often a punch than tears in this situation, though.
Interpersonal Relations. Drew likes teachers, although he admits that he gets along better with some than with others. He prefers teachers "who teach you hard stuff and [are] more strict." He has a very realistic perspective point of view, from a human relations perspective:

If I don't get along with the teacher, it makes it wierd because you're going to be with them for a year. That's guaranteed, you know.

I worry about as he gets older, and he has that kind of--it's not like he's being disrespectful, but he sees and catches your mistake. You can't be a hundred percent perfect all of the time....I don't want him to run into someone that has a big ego and 58 kind of nips him, because I think that's his way of learning and feeling good about himself...by challenging you.

Ms. Turner said that she is very fond of Drew, and suspects that Drew feels the same way about her, in a personal way that many children his age are not as willing to show openly as he is.

Drew, his parents, and his teacher said similar things about his interpersonal relationships with his peers: he is is a natural leader, who enjoys taking charge and organizing activities; he is well-respected both academically and emotionally by his classmates; his advice is often sought in scholastic and personal realms; and he was very sad when a good friend moved to Germany at the end of fourth grade. Ms. Turner and Drew's parents both suspected that Drew is a bit naive in his interpersonal dealings, but that his acute sense of fairness allows him to stand up for what he feels is right when engaged in an activity with peers that has definite rules, like an organized sport.

Drew said that he gets along with his classmates, but that he suspects that many of the children don't like him "because they think [he's] too smart." In Drew's perception, most of the other children who wouldn't object to his academic talents, are "trouble-makers," whom he doesn't like. So, he has few friends and many acquaintances. Drew's parents expressed a similar view when they were asked what a group of children who had never met Drew, but would be meeting him soon, should be told about him. Like Drew, Mr. Campbell said to tell the children nothing; to let them form their own impressions.

I don't know why I'd say anything. "There's a new kid in town and be nice to him."...what do you tell them? "There's this kid coming and he's gonna be real bright and he's gonna make the rest of you not look so good. You can't say that.

I think sometimes kids are kind of overwhelmed... I think that's the way that Drew...relates to people. He shows how much he knows, or how much he understands; not that he gloats about it, but I think that's his security, in a way. But he doesn't want to be different because of that.

Drew's comments about his academic differences could be taken as counter to Ms. Turner's last idea, but her analysis of how Drew relates to other people seems accurate from the perspective of this researcher, remembering how Drew presented himself in the interview situation. ` Drew seemed somewhat embarrassed, making sarcastic jokes, when asked about his relationships with family members, but it seemed that he felt that they get along well. He spoke at some length about his grandfather, who has travelled extensively, and has even met Albert Einstein. Drew expressed much respect for his grandfather's knowledge and experience. He admitted that he teases his sister, and when asked to explain why, he said that "[he] just like[s] to tease her; it's like an automatic function."

Drew's parents recognize that he and his sister sometimes do not get along, but they believe that Drew is often the "balancer" in that situation, when he wants to be. They also mentioned that Drew's grandmother takes care of him after school, before both of them get home (late) from work. Drew did not mention his grandmother during the interview, but Ms. Turner did know of her caretaking role in Drew's family. Both the adult Campbells and Ms. Turner said that Drew's relationships with his family members are good ones. Ms. Turner attributes much of Drew's wealth of knowledge to the rich educational experiences that his parents and grandparents give him, and to the fact that the adults in Drew's life "are very bright people." Ms. Turner seemed to agree with Mr. and Mrs. Campbell when she said that Drew's relationship with his younger sister is atypically nice; "you almost want to say, 'Why don't you two fight for [a change]?'" Drew showed this unusual gentle patience and caring toward Ms. Turner's 14-month-old son, also.

Classic Anecdotes. Throughout most of her interview, Ms. Turner emphasized how much progress Drew made in fourth grade in terms of showing compassion and consideration for peers' feelings. She chose one story to illustrate this that she labelled as the "classic Drew story."

There was a little boy in our class...he was emotionally stricken [when] he came to our class. We had a meeting about it and everything, and [Drew] was the only kid in Math; the only kid in our room that, at recess, went out to him and said, "Do you want to play with us?"...I think now when he has a cause...he can be very caring...I felt such a concerted effort on his part...and you could tell that it was just such a kind heart. He has such a kind heart.

He was not quite two years old, [and had not yet gotten out of his crib on his own]...I heard a noise...I got up and opened the [bedroom] door and Drew was standing on the other side of it....And I 62 said, "What are you doing here?"...we put him back in the crib, and said, "How did you get out?" And he...said, "First you put one leg over the edge, and then you put your foot here, and then you bring the other one over and then you put your foot there ...he repeated how he got out...talked his way through...and he had never fallen out...it seems like he just scoped it out. (Mrs. Campbell)

In first or second grade he started to raise two million [dollars] to build the space shuttle for the space administration. He wrote a letter to the President after the shuttle exploded; to Reagan...He started collecting nickels and dimes. And I think he was quite serious about it...He typed up a letter on Newsroom to raise the money. (Mr. Campbell)

I was like three years old and we went to the library for story hour and they have all these little pamphlets [there], and one time I picked up and read a pamphlet that had dark writing on it, and it had light numbers saying 911. Which is the fire number, and [the pamphlet] was like an ad to remind you to call 911 if you need help. And we were there waiting for story hour to start and I was doing a puzzle of Mickey Mouse. His foot was missing, and that night after my mom and dad had gone to bed, I called 911 and said "Mickey Mouse's foot is missing."

Viewer Conjectures. Of the 78 comments that viewing teachers wrote in response to Drew's artwork, 5 described emotional attributes, 27 addressed intellectual attributes, 7 depicted interpersonal characteristics, 2 referred to physical abilities, 19 mentioned school subject preferences or talents, and 15 described supposed work habits. Four of the five comments on Drew's emotional profile were made while looking at his freehand drawing; three of the five teachers saw him as "well-adjusted," "happy and serious." All comments made on Drew's interpersonal relations agreed with interview data; the four teachers who mentioned this aspect of his personality saw him as "outgoing," "easy to get along with," "accepting," "tuned into others' feelings," and "good humored." Teacher L felt that Drew "wants to please the teacher." These conjectures about his social skills were inspired by all three of Drew's pictures.

Teacher A, responding to Drew's freehand and graphics tablet drawings, was the only viewer to comment upon physical attributes. She said that Drew had "good motor skills" and "good coordination." Teachers G and M supposed that Drew has mechanical aptitude and interest. Teacher A also described Drew as "expansive," with a preference for "going out of bounds" when looking at his Logo picture. Teacher G seemed to see something similar when she described Drew as "exploratory" when seeing his graphics tablet picture. Three teachers characterized him as "creative" after seeing his freehand and Logo pictures.

Twelve comments by nine different teachers mentioned Drew's interest in Science. Four comments by three teachers correctly supposed his interest in Math. These 16 suppositions about school subject preference were 64 stimulated by teachers viewing Drew's artwork in all three media. Four teachers mentioned care, precision, and attention to and enjoyment of detail while looking at Drew's freehand and Logo pictures. Teacher D suggested that Drew was "impatient with mistakes." Teachers A and L saw him as "organized."

Drew's works are the three pictures out of the thirty which were commented upon the most frequently by observing teachers.

Case Report: Mark Fairbanks

Created with a Touch- Sensitive Graphics Tablet	Created with  Logo Commands	Created with  Handheld Tools

He's one that if he hears a story about something bad that has happened on the radio or television, it bothers him. Even if it's--it might not be anybody that he's ever heard of, it might not be in a place he's ever heard of, but he does tend to worry sometimes about things like that. (Mrs. Fairbanks)

...he was sick right much and had to go to the doctor, and every time we went...he got himself so nervous and so worked up that his heart rate was really, really fast. To the point that it worried the doctor. His heart rate was so fast and we had to even take him to the hospital to have an EKG done....the doctor made him nervous, but the hospital really upset him.

According to his mother, Mark does not take criticism well when it is delivered in "a sharp manner, like a reprimand....He likes to do things right." She added that he saves all of his school projects, and enjoys doing cross stitch. It was apparent to her that Mark enjoys precision.

Academics. Mark's teacher, Ms. Sanders, described Mark as a very nice, well-rounded child who "needs to have an exciting environment to work with as much as possible, and as many enrichment activities as [his teacher] can give him." Ms. Sanders also indicated that Mark could "work on his tidiness," even though he had worked very hard on improving his cursive writing in fourth grade.

...his desk is a nightmare, and it's one of the worst in the classroom. It's full of junk and paper and some toys and is just a disaster. So when I would get [his homework] paper, it would look like it had just been through World War III, crumpled up on the edges.

He would be one of the first children chosen when the boys went outside to be on the soccer team... so you would think that this child would be extremely stuck up. But he's not at all. (Ms. Sanders)

Both Mrs. Fairbanks and Ms. Sanders also commented upon Mark's delightfully dry sense of humor, which they felt is more adult than that of most children his age. Ms. Sanders was careful to mention, though, that Mark could laugh "at silly things and act crazy" just like other students in the fourth grade.

Mark, his mother and his teacher all identified Math and Science as Mark's favorite school subjects. Ms. Sanders also named computer use as a favorite for Mark, and although Mark and his mother would probably identify that as an activity, rather than a subject, they would agree that using computers to solve interesting mathematical and scientific puzzles (such as those encountered with Logo graphics) is enjoyable for Mark. Mark said that he didn't know why he likes Math and Science, but that he especially likes to "times ten digit numbers and...study about the experiments and stuff." Mrs. Fairbanks said that Mark likes most of what he does in school, but because Math and Science activities are more like puzzles and games to him, he prefers them to Language Arts study. Ms. Sanders also identified the problem-solving process itself as the main attraction of Math and Science study for Mark. She added that he often became frustrated with how she would explain mathematical problem-solving to the class.

Mark, I would say, is an advanced Math student. He would get frustrated because he would see the other way to solve the problem that was more of a shortcut. And he would say, "But I know how to do it a different way." I'd say, "Mark, I know you do, but I have to explain it this way to these children because they're not up to the same level of thinking that you are."

Mark found it difficult to identify a subject that he does not like studying at school. When pressed, he first said that he didn't know why he didn't like Handwriting, but he usually "get[s] S's" in that subject. When questioned further, Mark said that he doesn't like Handwriting "because [he] can't write good." Mrs. Fairbanks and Ms. Sanders mentioned classroom activities that involve much handwriting as Mark's least favorites. Mark's mother suspected that he doesn't like grammar and vocabulary; his teacher said that he doesn't like answering questions about stories that he reads in class. The reasons that each supplied were alike; Mark prefers to do things quickly, and not to review what he already knows.

Mark listed as his favorite academic activities multiplying large numbers, doing Science experiments or projects to "prove something," making speeches, reading all types of books, and working with his computer. His mother and his teacher both commented how much he likes to build models. Mrs. Fairbanks also mentioned field trips, making booklets about what he is studying, and reading trivia books. Ms. Sanders added collaborative, creative writing, and computer work to her perceptions of Mark's favorite activities list. Mark said that "homework is OK, just as long as we don't get a lot of it." His mother said that fourth grade was the first year in school when Mark began to complain about doing homework, even though he did it, and it didn't seem that there was that much for him to do.

...he just didn't seem to think that it was that important. He seemed to--I think school was pretty easy to him and he felt that he didn't need to do it. [He seemed to feel that] he could learn [the material] without doing that.

Mark likes to solve problems in his head. He doesn't like to use paper and pencil. He wants to be the first one to figure it out and then to let you know....A lot of times he wouldn't get the answer right because he always thought so much farther ahead and he would have some of the steps but not all of the steps, so his end result wouldn't be the correct one....If he were stuck, he'd start the steps on his paper like I taught him to. But he would try it mentally first, every time.

...usually if he comes to me for help he doesn't like the way I do it. He'd rather do it his own way....I used to teach Math but he still doesn't think I know what I'm talking about.

Therefore, she may not have had enough opportunities to observe Mark's problem-solving processes to be able to correctly typify them, which was not an unusual scenario between the parents and students in this study.

Interpersonal Relations. Mark did not choose to comment upon his relationships with his teachers. Both his mother and his fourth-grade teacher, though, said that his relationships with his teachers are very good. Both also mentioned that Mark enjoys doing things for his teachers: "file her papers; grade papers." (Mrs. Fairbanks) Ms. Sanders expressed some frustration, though, at how Mark "grabs" at the teacher's focus in the classroom in the same way that he physically grabs for things that are being distributed to classmates, and grabs for attention in general.

He would even dominate an adult if you let him...[by] just constantly interjecting thoughts. "Well, I think this about this situation," or "I think you should show the children how to do this in Math." And to the point, and I talked to his mom about this, I stopped class and said, "Mark, you can come up here and get paid to teach and I will just sit in your desk and I'll be the student, but I don't think [that your] parents would like that. So you're going to have to raise your hand when you want to say something, or you're going to have to wait until I finish teaching my lesson, and then when I ask for questions, then that's when I'll take your questions or whatever you have to say.

Ms. Sanders reported that Mark's behavior was "just beautiful" after that. She was convinced that Mark did not mean to disrupt the other children's thinking processes (as she suspected his frequent interjections did indeed do); she felt that Mark is such a bright and verbal child who is so interested in what was going on that he doesn't realize how impolite his behavior occasionally is. Ms. Sanders predicted that Mark will be very successful as a professional adult, but, for this reason, she thinks that he "might drive his boss crazy."

Mark prefers to be with large groups of children when he is playing, and he likes to play basketball, kickball, and tag when with his friends at school. He plays with both boys and girls at home and at school, but said that his play groups are smaller at home. He does not believe that he is a popular child, since he thinks that only the fourth grade students know who he is. Both his mother and his teacher mentioned that Mark gets along well with all children; he is quite easy-going and a good, but not imposing leader among his peers. Since Mark is almost a full year younger than many of the students in his class, his mother has some concerns about how this age difference may impact upon his socialization patterns, but so far, she sees no need to worry, since many of Mark's friends are in the next grade higher than his. Ms. Sanders also said that Mark is very giving with his friends, even though he always wants to pitch and can act aggressively during athletic activities.

Mark is the oldest of four children. He frequently plays baseball and checkers with his siblings, both because he is occasionally asked to take care of his brothers and sister, and also because he enjoys doing so. Mark seemed especially kind in his attitude towards his youngest sibling, his sister.

...I just help her play stuff. She likes to bat when we play baseball, so I pitch it to her and she's a pretty good hitter for a girl. We have to stand pretty close because she's not used to the hard...I mean, overhand pitches.

...he's really the big-brother type with her. He'll read to her, or at night sometimes she'll get out of bed and go get in bed with him and he'll take care of her.

Mrs. Fairbanks also acknowledged a special bond between Mark and his father which she attributed to a strong sports interest for both of them. Ms. Sanders saw evidence of this in Mark's voluntary Math work at home. "[H]e loved to work on his computer at home with Math problems at home...with his father." She went on to characterize Mark's relationships with his family as "wonderful." He writes and speaks about his father, saying that they cook together and play games. Ms. Sanders also pointed out that Mark enjoys having his mother come on field trips, which is unusual for fourth grade boys.

Ms. Sanders said that Mark's siblings "idolize him," and that he is very fond of them.

They love big brother. They'd come by to pick up his homework [when he was out sick]. They would come by just bubbling, "I need Mark's work," and grinning from ear to ear. And one of them was his little kindergarten brother....But that kindergarten[er] came in bold as you please, picked everything up and got it home. They're very reliable and responsible children.

Classic Anecdotes. Mrs. Fairbanks told many delightful "Mark stories" during her interview, but there were three that seemed to communicate unique aspects of Mark's personality. Mark is a child that, as his teacher said, is unquestionably gifted. This was quite apparent when he had just turned three years old, and a few days later, sat down in front of the family's line of Christmas stockings and copied the names that were displayed on each...correctly.

Mrs. Fairbanks said that adults' opinions of him have always been important to Mark.

He's always been one who likes to do what he thought was going to get him approval. When he was little he would ask us sometimes if we were proud of him. And I remember one time when--I mean, little, maybe three. I remember one time he [had done] something he shouldn't have and he kind of looked up tearfully and said, "Are you still proud of me?"

Mark's ease and affinity with adults was reflected in several tales that Mrs. Fairbanks told about how Mark would be invited to a friend's house to play, and would spend more time talking with the adults than playing with the children. On one occasion, Mark even stayed an extra hour after a group of his friends went out to play. It seems that Mark was more interested in what he and a friend's mother were discussing.

Ms. Sanders told a story that similarly depicted an unusual type of relationship between a fourth-grader and an adult.

I believe I was reading a story one time and I honestly didn't know how to say the word and he popped up with it...he knew how to say it, and I said "thanks, Mark." Just being able to know the answer right away and tell you is what he's all about.

Viewer Conjectures Of the 60 comments that viewing teachers wrote while looking at Mark's three pictures, six addressed his emotional attributes, three offered perspectives on the nature of his interpersonal relationships, two referred to fine motor coordination, 22 described his intellectual attributes, three supposed school subject preferences, and 20 characterized his school work habits. All comments offered about Mark's emotional and interpersonal attributes agreed with interview data, and were offered by the same three teachers viewing Mark's work in all media. They saw Mark as "mature," "good-natured," "persistant," "talkative," "sociable," and "securityoriented." Teacher A thought that Mark's graphics tablet picture evidenced "poor coordination" and "trouble with handwriting."

Four teachers described Mark as "creative," "nontraditional," and having a "good imagination," but only when looking at his freehand drawing. His Logo picture suggested to two teachers that he can expand on ideas and that he "combines and builds on knowledge." The three teachers who commented upon Mark's school subject preferences (while looking at his freehand and Logo drawings) felt that he enjoys reading, writing, Science, and Art. There was some disagreement among the six teachers who described Mark's work habits; six felt that he was "organized," "well-structured," "a planner," a "detailed worker," "careful," "meticulous," and "not a risk-taker," while the same six, looking at other pictures that Mark drew, saw him as "impulsive," "riskprovoked," "careless," disorganized," and a "quick worker." There was no correlation between media used and types of comments made.

Copyright © 1996, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.