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 Koch, Marshall

University of Texas at Austin

Case Report: Lance Koch

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

Lance Koch was ten years old and in fifth grade when he agreed to be interviewed. He described himself as "funny...sort of smart...not into...sports, except a few. I like using computers...[and] going to the library. I like reading. And that's it." He also mentioned that he works well with computers, because he has had a lot of experience doing so. "When we get new software I usually never read the directions....I just do it by myself and learn the different keys."

Mr. Koch, Lance's father, described his son as "very academically oriented...[with] a positive attitude in all aspects of school subjects, and...above average in his academic ways and ready to receive any new educational information in school." Mr. Koch, like Lance, said that Lance likes going to the library and reading novels or books about science. Lance's interview confirmed his father's emphasis on academic orientation and openness to new information, but Lance might disagree with regard to positive attitude toward all school subjects and activities. Mr. Koch recognized that Lance enjoys being challenged in school, but may have been surprised at the number of times that Lance mentioned being bored with certain aspects of his academic work.

When compared with other children Lance's age, Mr. Koch feels that

he's like the other children in [that] he likes to be friendly and socially with others and wants to mingle and mix together. And he's...more study or academic[ally] oriented than others by finding more reading time, or more computer playing time, or more into books (encyclopedias).

These observations parallel Lance's self-referential comments, although Lance chose to describe himself additionally as "funny." Mr. Koch agreed that Lance is humorous, although not to the extent that it would interfere with his schoolwork. Mr. Koch feels that Lance's intelligence was developed by the extracurricular experiences that he and Lance's mother provided.

Academics.Mr. Anderson, Lance's teacher, sees Lance as

a good student. Strong in all areas. I would not classify him in any use of the word as exceptional....I think the knowledge base is there but the command is not. I think a lot of it has to do with his social and emotional development...he's extememly immature.

Lance and his father, Mr. Koch, would probably agree with Mr. Anderson's academic assessment; Lance said that he is "sort of smart," and Mr. Koch said that his son is like the other children, except perhaps a bit more academically oriented.

Lance stated that his favorite school subjects are Mathematics and Science because they are "challenging and fun." He particulary enjoys doing science experiments, and writing science reports with a word processor. He prefers to investigate subjects that interest him in depth, such as the work that he was doing on training falcons at the time of the interview.

Mr. Anderson described Lance as someone that easily gets very excited about project work. "His little arms start waving. I [would] think he's going to fly!" Lance seemed to like to experience new things, especially assembly programs, field trips, and work with fine arts, especially drama. Lance would completely immerse himself in these activities.

Lance named Language Arts as his least favorite subject, because

I don't like writing a lot, my hand hurts and I'm tired...I'll probably get bored with it even though I'm interested in that subject; I'm impatient to get it finished.

Lance qualified these observations by explaining that he does like writing for long periods of time about subjects in Science in which he is interested, but he prefers to do many different things in a given period of time (such as is possible during a science experiment), rather than doing the same thing for an extended time. In general, anything that involves learning new information is more appealing to him than that which requires reforming "old knowledge. He is an avid reader, preferring fiction books, biographies of famous scientists or explorers, and story collections (especially "scary" or "funny" stories).

Like Lance's father, Mr. Anderson named Language Arts as Lance's favorite school subject, and mentioned Lance's avid interest in reading. Mr. Anderson felt, though, that part of the reason that Lance reads certain books was to be able to say to his classmates that he read them. Mr. Anderson said that Lance's Language Arts teacher spoke of him as an outstanding student, and Mr. Anderson saw evidence of these language talents in his Social Studies class, where Lance often responded to questions and in-class discussions in creative and in- depth ways.

Lance implied that he is particular about the information sources that he consults for his studies.

I use encyclopedias and they don't have the kind that I like in the library at school. They don't have Encyclopedia Britannica...[and their] Compton's...are from 1975-1983.

He had tremendously good reference skills. So he would go an extra mile there...He would go into the library and search for things...he'd go the extra distance to get at problems and at answers in social studies. (Mr. Anderson)

Mr. Koch mentioned that Lance's favorite school-related activities are those in which he writes project reports with a word processor, using dictionaries and encyclopedias as references.

Mr. Koch also emphasized that Lance is "followed on top [of] every aspect of his schooling." Lance's mother makes sure that his homework is finished on time and helps him to prepare for tests, even though Mr. Koch described him as "self-motivated, very much." Both parents keep in frequent contact with Lance's teachers. Mr. Koch feels that Lance's two years of pre-school served as an academic "cornerstone," helping "to give him basic ideas, or basic skills in writing very legibly...doing some...chores in the home or...school correctly and precisely."

Mr. Anderson was not aware of any subjects that Lance disliked, except, perhaps, for advanced Math, but he was quick to point out that Lance would never admit to disliking Math, because it was so important to him to excel academically.

Mr. Anderson, unlike Lance or his father, emphasized Lance's interest in and experience with fine arts. Possibly this was not mentioned in the interviews with Mr. Koch or Lance himself because they do not classify fine arts as a "school subject."

I think he had a background in the fine arts so much, too. I would play a little classical music some days (some of the kids would go "ugh!") and he would probably know the composer. [When we went to the National Gallery in Washington] Lance stuck beside me like glue. I said Lance I just wish you and I could just do this all day long. There is so much that he could tell me because he had been there; he knew the paintings. He would run around and get so excited because he knew this artist.

Lance becomes very involved with class drama productions; writing, directing, and acting in plays with classmates. In fact, the only time that Mr. Anderson saw Lance become angry was once when he had an argument with a particularly domineering student who was working with him on a play that they had written together.

Mr. Koch named Language Arts and Social Science as Lance's favorite school subjects; Lance named Mathematics and Science. Both father and son agreed that he enjoys reading ("I know he reads really a lot, until a very late time in his room") and working on the computer ("...it is true if he has more time he wants to go into computer game[s]). When asked directly if Lance likes Math and Science, Mr. Koch replied, "Yes, as far as I know he likes [them] because...he made a row of A's." When asked to elaborate, Mr. Koch indicated that Lance earns A's in all of his school subjects, so it seemed to him that he must like all of what he studies in school.

Lance said that he dislikes homework "because it takes me a little time," but he does it nevertheless. He finds any kind of review of what has been learned before "boring," and experiences homework as mostly that kind of follow-up activity. Occasionally, a teacher will choose a report topic for him that he dislikes; "sometimes when the teacher picks the subject I don't like it." But, he will complete the assignment, even though he admits that he takes more time to investigate subjects that interest him than those that don't.

When I choose the subject, I do long reports because I'm really interested in it, and when she picks...a subject I'd do pretty much a short report. I wouldn't much work on it.

I see him as being...in many respects insecure. Wanting to be accepted but at the same time... very competitive. I mean he is one of the classic grade-oriented, straight-A, high achievement, "I can do this," "I read that" [students]...he wants to be right up there with the best ones in the class.

I sat down...with him and talked to him, and I said "do you really understand what we are doing here?" He says, "well I got four-fifths. I got the picure right." I said "yes, but explain it to me. Tell me how does this chart relate to the four-fifths plus the two-thirds." And it just wasn't there.

At first I picked one friend['s house]...at first I put the decision on someone else, but then he said "You're the guest" and so I should decide, and so I picked one friend's house but everybody was disappointed so I picked the other one.

Academic problem-solving is enjoyable for Lance when it reveals "a new way of doing something." He spends most of the time working on the problem by sitting and thinking, trying different ways to solve it. When he arrives at the answer, he would prefer to write it just once, and for it to be correct the first time.

Mr. Koch described the first step in Lance's problem-solving process as consulting a reference source. Lance described it as "sitting and thinking." But father and son agreed that Lance is persistent about working with the problem until the correct answer is found. Both of their descriptions indicated that the main reinforcement that Lance seeks is the new information that he acquires as a result of the solving a problem, much like the knowledge that he obtains from reading, doing science experiments, or writing reports about topics that he finds intrinsically interesting.

Interpersonal Relations. Mr. Koch described Lance's feelings toward homework in much the same way that his son did. "He finishes homework because it is given to him. I don't think he [looks] forward to homework." This reflects the implied tenor of Lance's relations with his teachers; Lance has been taught simply to do what the teacher says to do, even if it is distasteful. Lance's comments about homework and "boring" school subjects and activities were framed in this respectful context.

According to his teacher, Lance did his homework assignments punctually and well. Mr. Anderson's perceptions of Lance's respect for the teacher's authority on this issue paralleled what Mr. Koch and Lance expressed individually. The emphasis that Mr. Koch expressed on parental supervision of this activity was apparent from Mr. Anderson's perspective, also.

Oh, yes. It was almost to the extreme of worrying about when they were due and how it was to be done and wanted to take it a little bit further. (Mr. Anderson)

He was fairly outspoken in what he liked or didn't like..."This is boring." Not "I'm not gonna do this." Rather than taking this as a[n] [af]front, I'll be honest, I felt good because he didn't mind just saying "this is boring."

Lance's favorite after-school activities are "playing on my computer, playing video games, watching T.V.,...bike riding, shooting some baskets...and exploring in the woods." He also enjoys playing "chess, Othello, computer games and Battleship." He hates to work, which he defines as homework, yard work, and household chores, and would choose to stay home instead of going to school, if he were presented with that option, except when there were school assemblies and time to play with the other fifth-grade children. Lance generally prefers indoor to outdoor activities.

Mr. Koch mentioned that Lance prefers to read, play with the computer, or ride bikes with his younger brother when at home. Lance seemed to express more of a preference for being alone than his father recognized. While Lance described his siblings as "babies," Mr. Koch said that he likes to play with them, explaining that he and Lance's mother "[ask] him to look after the smaller ones."

Lance's friendships seem sensitive and easy-going. "Most kids like me. I have a lot of friends. When we have fights we usually make up the next day." His friends are mostly boys, and he prefers to spend time with them in small groups, playing football, video games or board games. He said that he "is fun at these games," because "I'm usually a challenge to beat, 'cause I'm very good at chess."

Mr. Koch acknowledged that, although Lance enjoys physical activity, he does not excel in organized sports in comparison with other children his age. Mr. Koch mentioned Lance's friendliness several times during the interview:

He's a sociable person. He can make friends easily and...he can be very friendly with anybody, with any new person.

Mr. Koch explained that the family has moved many times, and that Lance has never experienced difficulty in adjusting to new school environments, making friends very easily in each new situation.

According to his father, Lance

wants to stay active and always wants to find out [the] reason, and participate to find out what's going on in school, with his neighbor, even in the street.

Lance would not disagree with regard to these notions of his sociability; he did mention that he has a lot of friends.

Mr. Anderson and Mr. Koch agreed that Lance's physical abilities are not as well-developed as those of some of the other children his age, but that doesn't stop him from trying to participate.

He knew that his skills weren't up to par. He had trouble hitting and he couldn't really catch yet. With volleyball he couldn't do quite as well because he's so small. I guess he knew his limitations...but he would still get in and try. (Mr. Anderson)

As a result, Mr. Anderson observed that Lance spends more time at recess with girls than boys. This is in direct contrast with what both Lance and Mr. Koch reported. Mr. Anderson felt that Lance allows himself to be "bossed around by other kids. Sometimes I think he didn't mind that much." Lance's descriptions of his efforts to abdicate decision-making responsibility and therefore please his friends when placed in a position of power seem to support his teacher's observations. Lance's father's descriptions of his son's friendliness might also add credence to this view. Mr. Anderson pointed out that in another, less supportive social environment, the combination of Lance's small stature and his gentle ways might cause "these little macho guys...[to] tease him or pick on him."

When asked at the end of the interview if there were anything else that should be known about him, Lance laughed and mentioned his ethnic heritage.

Interviewer: What does that mean to you? Lance: I don't really care. [laughs] Interviewer: You don't really care. Do you feel [ethnicity]? Lance: No. Interviewer: No. What do you feel like? Lance: A person.

It is interesting that, although Lance maintains that his ethnicity is something that he does not experience in such a way that might separate him from his classmates, he is conscious enough of it to mention it as a personal attribute.

Although his ethnicity seemed to impose no practical limitations upon Lance, it should be noted that his father's primary language is not English, and his quotes should therefore be reflected upon with that in mind.

A Classic Anecdote. Mr. Anderson described Lance's parents as

a sterotype [of]...the high-pressure, high-achievement, almost unlimited resources type, and the children have already experienced things by the time they are 6 or 8 years old that other kids may not ever hope to see.

Oh, my gosh, I can't understand her and here I am [with] a southern [state] accent! What is she getting from what I'm saying; we should both be somewhere else.

She just walked into the room one afternoon...and she just said "May I look at your room?" and I said "Fine, come on in." Immediately there's this stress because, do I try to make conversation, or do I continue working? She came on over to the computer, and see I'm not sure this is what she asked me because I couldn't quite understand her, but I think she asked me if MIT is a good place for him to go. And I said "well, I suppose it's a good school"...and then...I think she mentioned Harvard...I kept thinking, "If this is what she's asking me, Lance is in the fifth grade; why are you asking me this?"

I'm learning this because I'm going to MIT or Harvard; I have to. He wouldn't have any animosity. There wouldn't be anything wrong with that. I'm going to be a doctor, I'm going to have a six-digit salary and that is what you do to get that...this work ethic. Maybe I'm horribly wrong but he's certainly not the only one [at this school].

Mr. Anderson seemed to agree with Mr. Koch in the implication that Lance's high achievement is environmentally-based. Even Lance seemed to ascribe his academic success to the experiences that he had, especially in reading and computer work. Yet Mr. Anderson is "sure that there is a lot of just tremendous ability there, too. I don't want to sell him short."

Lance's teacher expressed some disappointment in not having gotten to know Lance as well as he would have liked to know him. "I never [saw what was] really motivating him or what his thoughts were about school." He sees Lance as someone who "just didn't [have his]...feet on the ground yet." Though concerned, Mr. Anderson has hope for Lance eventually balancing his quest for academic achievement with a greater sense of self-knowledge and independence.

He hasn't come close to focusing yet.... Maybe he just doesn't really know who Lance is, or who he wants Lance to be yet. Maybe it's everybody else's wishes or something. I was concerned; he's so young. [But] it will happen.

Viewer Conjectures. Of the 59 total comments made about Lance's three pictures, 9 described emotional or interpersonal attributes, 18 supposed some aspect of his intellectual character, 8 supposed school subject preferences, and 22 depicted academic work habits. There was some disagreement among the three teachers who chose to comment upon Lance's level of emotional adjustment. He was described as "relaxed," "happy," "interested in feelings," "balanced," and having a "good self-image," but also as "tentative." Although conjectures about Lance's emotional makeup were stimulated by his pictures in all three media, only his graphics tablet work suggested anything to viewers about his interpersonal relations. Teacher G supposed that Lance was "interested in people," and Teacher A suggested that Lance was a generally compliant kid." Three of the nine comments on emotional or social aspects of Lance's personality disagreed with interview data.

Intellectually, Lance was seen as "not artistic," "not creative," and having "not too much imagination" by three teachers looking at three different pieces of his artwork. These conjectures disagreed with interview data, unlike Teacher A's and H's comments upon other aspects of Lance's intellectual profile; they said that he was "realistic," a "divergent thinker," a "good student," a "serious student," and a "good reader." Four teachers supposed that Lance prefers Math and/or Science to other school subjects, while two suggested Art, Social Studies, and Reading. These suppositions were made while looking at any and all of Lance's creations.

Seven teachers felt that Lance's work evidenced a "well-organized," "very structured," "logical," "neat," "precise," "careful" "sequential, linear thinker" who is a "planner," and "likes things to be orderly," while another four felt that Lance might be a "somewhat hasty," "restless," "sloppy worker" who "rushes through tasks." Two different teachers, commenting upon Lance's graphics tablet picture, felt that he likes and is comfortable with experimentation.

Case Report: Jon Marshall

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

Interviewer: What about Einstein?

 

Respondent: Like nobody knew who he was until he-what did he do?

 

Interviewer: Lots of stuff.

 

Respondent: He built some of the stuff and people didn't know about him; that's what I want to be like. I want to be unknown until I find something that I know about and then I'll be famous.

Academics. Jon's mother described him as "generally a very cooperative child who's very inquisitive and generally will adjust well to any situation." Mrs. Marshall also indicated that academic endeavors usually come quite easily to Jon, and that he enjoys an intellectual challenge as long as he can conquer it without any difficulty. Jon expressed similar feelings when he said that he likes things that are challenging, but not too hard. According to his mother, Jon prefers to do his schoolwork quickly and without struggle.

Jon's fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Silverman, agreed that Jon prefers quickly-completed, successful academic endeavors. She described Jon as a lovable child with a great personality, who works well with teachers and classmates, although he often challenges teachers intellectually. She added that he is sweet, cares about other people, is sensitive to others' needs, and has a beautiful smile. Ms. Silverman also said that, among his peers, Jon is a "great leader," and likes to "joke around." Mrs. Marshall independently concurred on these last two points.

Like Jon, Ms. Silverman and Mrs. Marshall both mentioned his good memory, his interest in Science, and his preference for a structured system of discipline. Mrs. Marshall said that she would caution any new teacher of Jon's that he tends to be talkative, and that a structured set of rules with clear consequences is important to communicate to him. Ms. Silverman generally observed that Jon feels comfortable with and prefers structure in the classroom. She added that, if a movie were made about Jon, he'd have the title of "the challenger," because he was always challenging the information that she presented; "he wanted proof," and always wanted to know "why." Ms. Silverman appreciated this pattern, since she said that it "kept her on her toes,"although she had to work with Jon during the year to help him to be more diplomatic in his challenges.

Mrs. Marshall and Ms. Silverman also mentioned Jon's abilities in public performance, especially in an "M. C." role. Mrs. Marshall mentioned several aspects of Jon's activity preferences that were not stated by her son or his teacher: that Jon likes to sing, write poetry, and is a very hard worker when presented with the opportunity to earn money. All three informants mentioned Jon's enjoyment of and ability in athletic activities, especially basketball and baseball. Ms. Silverman observed that Jon isn't competitive with other children about his academic achievements, and that that performance was excellent overall, once he realized that he had to "apply the effort; apply the sweat" to achieve in her class. She also pointed out that Jon does not like to be proven wrong.

The three informants agreed that Science is one of Jon's favorite school subjects. Jon listed his other favorite school subjects as Reading and Spelling. His mother and his teacher named Reading as a preference (all three mentioned how much he reads and likes to read), but neither adult seemed to know how much Jon enjoys Spelling. According to him, Spelling is enjoyable because the words are challenging, and he likes to spell out loud, especially in spelling bees. According to Jon, he likes to read stories with a lot of action in them. His mother said that he likes to read almost anything, but she did note a preference for factual reading material, such as that which is found in the Guiness Book of World Records and encyclopedias. Ms. Silverman also mentioned that Jon would read just about anything, but that he seems to prefer scientific and historical nonfiction material.

Both Jon and his mother did not hesitate when asked to name his least favorite school subject: Math. Interestingly, Ms. Silverman named this as one of his preferred subjects during one part of the interview; she said that he enjoys the challenges that are presented to him in this academic domain. Jon indicated that he can do the Math work, but that he doesn't like how long it takes to write out arithmetic processes, especially when his work is being timed. His mother attributes his dislike for Math to the fact that it "does not come as easily to him as other subjects." She, like Jon, mentioned that the extra time that a more challenging subject takes him makes him dislike the work itself. In another portion of her interview, Ms. Silverman mentioned something very similar to what Jon and Mrs. Marshall listed as his objection to Math; the "roteness...[he] already knew it, [so he wanted to know] why [he had] to do it."

Both Jon and Ms. Silverman spoke about Social Studies, but Jon listed this as a least-favorite school subject ("...well, some of the stuff in there...we had last year and the year before that. We already know that; why do we have to go over it again?") and Ms. Silverman thought that it is an outside-of-class reading interest of Jon's. These two observations may not necessarily reflect disagreement.

Jon named making filmstrips, doing art projects, beating on his brother's drums, mixing chemicals, and taking care of laboratory animals as his favorite activities. His mother also mentioned Science-related activities as among Jon's favorites (as did Ms. Silverman), specifically, mixing chemicals. Both Mrs. Marshall and Ms. Silverman mentioned Jon's long attention span and excellent task committment in relation to his enjoyment of reading books and viewing video media. Ms. Silverman, like Jon, told about Jon's delight in making filmstrips, and both she and Jon said that he likes to learn about fossils, volcanoes, and dinosaurs.

Jon seems to see homework as an imposition upon his time to play with neighborhood friends, but does it nevertheless; five minutes of homework would be "too little," in his estimation. His mother emphasized the fact that Jon's homework is strictly structured. Homework is to be done first thing, and he would rather get it done and be done with it. We have sort of a house rule; it must be the first thing done in the evening.

Jon's teacher saw the situation similarly; she said that Jon's homework was always done, but that "he never went beyond," and that he would much rather play Nintendo than do it, so he finished it as quickly as possible.

Jon mentioned assistance from teachers, peers, and parents as important in his problem-solving processes. He prefers that people "[give] him a clue to what the answer is," but not tell him directly. Jon said that he wouldn't seek assistance unless he had tried the problem several times, and got a different answer each time. His mother noted this preference for collaborative problemsolving, and described her assistance patterns in just the way that Jon said that he prefers to receive help. Ms. Silverman indicated that Jon does not become immediately involved in collaborative class discussions on problem-solving, but that after a while spent listening to the other children, was very active and thinking on higher levels, as she encourages the children to do. When specifically queried, Mrs. Marshall said that Jon is more wholistic than linear, and more intuitive than logical in his problem-solving; Ms. Silverman saw Jon as middle-of-the-road on these two continua.

Interpersonal Relations. Jon said that his fourth-grade teacher was "nice...she was just happy almost all the time." He did point out that "my name went on the board a couple of times...[when] I answered out of turn," but said that that did not make his teacher angry. Mrs. Marshall said that her son "rarely ever had a problem with a teacher," and that he "prides himself in being able to communicate with the teacher." She also noted that Jon usually likes his teachers, and that in his eyes, "they can do no wrong." Like Mrs. Marshall, Ms. Silverman implied that Jon has the type of personality that allows him to get along with his teachers very well. She described their relationship as "very professional," adding:

I respected him and he respected me. Extremely. I won't forget Jon because, like I said, he offered a lot of challenges for me. I knew that I could not walk into that room and be unprepared. I knew that I could not put anything on the board that was a mistake, and if it was, I'd turn to Jon and say, "what did I do wrong?" and he would be kind and repsectful enough to aide me if I needed it.

He liked himself. You know, I think he liked people, and he liked being around people, but he was happy not being around them, too. He liked himself.

Jon talked quite a bit about his younger brother, who, in Jon's opinion, takes advantage of his age and relative size by hitting and wrestling with Jon, knowing that Jon is not permitted to hit him back. As may be expected, Jon's mother has a different view of the situation. According to her, "[h]is brother would give him the world and he [Jon] sort of uses him. He's a little brother and so he [Jon] kind of takes advantage of the situation." Mrs. Marshall said that Jon will ask his younger brother to ask her for things that he knows that he can't have, or do "dirty little jobs." She agreed that the younger brother is the one who more frequently behaves in a physically aggressive way. She also was quick to point out that this is typical sibling activity. Ms. Silverman was well-apprised of the situation, since Jon would often jokingly complain about his brother. His teacher was quick to point out that there was a lot of fondness for the younger child in the stories, though.

Classic Anecdotes. When asked to supply an anecdote that would communicate the "essence of Jon Marshall," Jon's mother and Jon's teacher told two delightful tales. Ms. Silverman told the story of a "discussion or challenge about an eye dropper."

We were studying the metric system. Does the eye dropper suck up medicine or does it slurp it; release it?...I said you put the eye dropper in and it goes in, and you suck it. And then to get it out you release it. Well, [Jon] took it the other way....For half an hour we were having an analytical discussion about how an eye-dropper works. Both of us had the same theory, but approached it differently. It was like World War III over an eye-dropper....We quit class, we went to the library,...the whole class was involved. [Eventually we found out that] it was both the same. It just depended on which way you looked at it. And finally he came back. He says, "You know what, Ms. Silverman, you're right." I said, "Thank you." And I said, "Jon, you were right." And he said, "Thank you." And that was the end of it.

He asked me one day; it was in the spring, [and] we were passing a garden with beautiful azaleas and it was just a gracious picture and he said, "Mama, who paints the flowers?"...He often does that; he asks those wonderful questions that mamas have to search for an answer to. I said, "Well, baby, God makes all the trees and the plants and He makes them change in the spring...he planned that color." And [Jon] said, "Oh, yeah. God didn't go out of the lines [when He was coloring]." It was a great thing and I've always wanted to...send it to somebody and say, "My son said that."

Viewer Conjectures. Of the 49 comments made while viewing Jon's artwork, 7 addressed emotional or interpersonal attributes, 7 delineated intellectual characteristics, 5 supposed school subject preferences, and 22 stated some aspect of his school work habits. Three teachers, viewing three different pictures that Jon drew, described him as "happy," "balanced," "fun to have in class," "well-liked by his peers," and having an "open attitude." He was also characterized as "creative," "mechanical," a "good reader," and able to understand more than one point of view. His school subject preference was guessed to be Science by two teachers viewing his freehand and Logo pictures; another educator supposed that Jon "prefers [the] playground and lunch."

Four teachers felt that Jon was "organized," a "planner," "precise," "careful," and "concerned with details" from the evidence in his three drawings, but the same four teachers, when looking at other pieces of Jon's work, also described him as "in a hurry to get on to other tasks," "careless," "not attentive to detail," and a child who "doesn't polish [his] work." Interview data gathered from Jon's mother and teacher agreed with the latter view, although both recognized Jon's ability to produce careful, high-quality work when he was motivated to do so.

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