Thoughts from Mrs. Turner

I learned so much from Mrs. Turner. she has her master's degree and has been a teacher for about 20 years. I emailed her quite a few questions for her to answer and she gave me some great information. It really impresses me when i get to hear from someone with more experience and more education than me when i am striving to be like them. I am saving her email for when i get my own classroom to remind me of some things I should remember to do. This is most of the email that she sent to me.....
Technology is the best thing that has evolved in teaching in the last 15 years. I can now go to my computer and find the answer to any questions my class might have. In the past, you would have to write down the question, go and find a set of encyclopedias, and take the time to read or skim until you hopefully found the answer. I love technology! When I received my master's degree, I went on a state scholarship program that introduced teachers to computers.
Teachers (including myself) were very hesitinate of using them, since we had no training. I now use technology everyday at home in planning as well as numerous times throughout the day at school. I use it to help me plan, to communicate with other teachers, and share information and well as get information. I use the system wide program STI to document attendance as well as keeping a computerized grade book. This grade book can be viewed by parents in looking up their child's progress at any time. I use it to send out computerized progress reports and other reports.
My children in my classroom use technology everyday. We go to various websites as part of our daily lessons. I have a LCD in my classroom that is used several times during the day. I have not used textbooks in about 6 years. I teach by using technology, literature, and hands on activities. Teaching is so much more interesting now. Students are able to take computerized reading tests on the computer on books they have read on their independent reading level. Students also have use of online line programs at home that are part of our math, reading, and social studies programs. They can get extra help and use on line tools.
The best part of technology to me in education is the wealth of knowledge that is out there on the World Wide Web. I can find out anything I want. I do not have to search through books, I just Google now. I am very lucky to have four computers and a LCD in my classroom. I also have the use of a Smart board. I hope the future will bring more computers and laptops for all children, but I can only wish.
Robin Turner

Blogs in the Classroom

I THINK THAT THERE ARE MORE PLUSSES TO BLOGS IN THE CLASSROOM THAN THERE ARE MINUSES. HAVING A BLOG FOR YOUR CLASSROOM CAN ONLY ADD TO THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR STUDENTS. AS LONG AS YOU KEEP YOUR BLOG EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL AND STRICTLY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE TO BE SEEN BY FACULTY, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS, IT IS A GREAT TOOL TO HAVE.
THE PLUSSES ARE WHATEVER YOU ADD TO YOUR BLOG TO HELP YOUR STUDENTS. MAYBE A CALENDAR FOR WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO THROUGOUT THE YEAR, COPIES OF HANDOUT, VIDEO OF LECTURES, LINKS TO EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES, ETC. EVEN IF YOU JUST HAVE A BLOG FOR REMINDERS EVERY WEEK, IT IS STILL VERY USEFUL TO HELP YOUR STUDENTS KEEP UP BETTER. ALSO, A POSITIVE ASPECT OF BLOGS IN THE CLASSROOM IS IT INTRODUCES THE STUDENT TO TECHNOLOGY. THIS IS A POSITIVE MOSTLY FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS THAT CAN GET STUDENTS TO USE COMPUTERS AT A YOUNGER AGE.
A MINUS OF BLOGS IN THE CLASSROOM IS WHAT YOU DO WITH IT. IF YOU ARE USING YOUR BLOG FOR EACH LESSON TRY TO STICK WITH IT AND NOT BE UNRELIABLE. STUDENTS NEED INFORMATION WELL AHEAD OF TIME AND THEY CAN HAVE THE TIME TO WORK WITH IT. SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO PUT INFORMATION ON YOUR BLOG THEN GET IT UP AS SOON AS YOU CAN FOR THE STUDENTS. I REALLY ADMIRE LISA FOR GOING TO THE ACCESS LAB AND PUTTING HER POST UP BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE. SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAD A LOT OF ASSIGNMENTS AND NEEDED TO GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY. THE ONLY OTHER NEGATIVE I CAN THINK OF IS THAT YOU COULD BE GIVING SOME STUDENTS AN ADVANTAGE OVER OTHERS. SOME LESS FORTUNATE FAMILIES MIGHT NOT HAVE A PERSONAL COMPUTER THAT GIVES THEM EASY ACCESS TO YOUR BLOG. OTHERS CAN GET THE INFORMATION WHENEVER THEY NEED IT.
OVERALL IT IS VERY GOOD TO PUT TO USE THIS FREE TOOL THAT CAN REALLY BROADEN YOUR STUDENTS' EXPERIENCE AND MAYBE ALLOW YOU TO DO MORE WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

My Podcast

OVERALL I THOUGHT THE PODCASTS WERE INTERESTING. BUT LISTENING TO THEM, YOU WERE REALLY ABLE TO SEE WHO DID THERE RESEARCH, WHO KNEW A LOT FROM EXPERIENCE, AND WHO KIND OF 'WINGED IT'.
I THOUGHT THAT THEY COULD HAVE SOUNDED A LITTLE MORE PROFESSIONAL. MUSIC WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY CHANGED THE MOOD OF THE PODCASTS. I REALLY LIKED THE PODCASTS THAT WERE MORE OF THE DISCUSSION TYPE. WHEN PEOPLE SOUND LIKE THEY ARE JUST READING FROM A SCRIPT IT IS NOT AS INTERESTING AS WHEN OTHERS ADD SOME INPUT.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT THESE PODCASTS IS THAT THEY CAN REALLY HELP YOU AS A FUTURE TEACHER. TEACHERS HAVE TO EXPLAIN THINGS IN A WAY THAT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND. HEARING HOW YOU TALK CAN HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER SPEAKER. I LEARNED THAT I CAN USE A LOT OF WORK! BUT THAT IS A GOOD THING. I WILL WORK ON MY ABILITY TO EXPLAIN THINGS BETTER. IN MOST OF THE PODCASTS YOU CAN TELL THAT WE ARE NOT REAL EXPERTS ON OUR TOPICS OR ON PERFORMING PODCASTS.

Project Hope

I REALLY ENJOYED LISTENING TO THE STORIES ABOUT PROJECT HOPE. THEY WERE REALLY STORIES ABOUT STRONG WOMEN THAT NEEDED HELP THAT IS HARD TO FIND. NILAYA AND MICHELLE WERE BOTH MOTHERS THAT WERE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. NILAYA WENT STRAIGHT INTO A SHELTER AND MICHELLE GOT A ROOMATE. MICHELLE'S ROOMMATE ENDED UP GETTING LAID OFF AND BOTH OF THESE WOMEN FOUND THEMSELVES AT PROJECT HOPE. BECAUSE THEY HAD TO LEAVE THERE ABUSIVE HUSBANDS THEY WERE FINANCIALLY NOT ABLE TO AFFORD HOUSING. THEY WERE LEFT WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO MOVE THEMSELVES AND THERE CHILDREN INTO PROJECT HOPE.
WHEN THEY GOT TO PROJECT HOPE THEY FOUND HOUSING THROUGH THEM. NILAYA BECAME A LEADER FOR THOSE WHO COULD NOT AFFORD HOUSING TO FIND WAYS TO PROVIDE TO THOSE THAT HAVE FALLEN ON HARD TIMES. THESE WOMEN, TO ME, WERE VERY INSPIRATIONAL. THEY NEW THAT HAD TO GET OUT OF THE SITUATION THEY WERE IN AND TRY TO MAKE THERE LIVES BETTER. THESE WOMEN, ESPECIALLY THOSE THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN, SHOULD GET BETTER ASSISTANT.

Math in Technology

Judy Chandler explains why involving technology in mathematics is so important. Teachers think that the students just can't learn extra additions or the teacher does not want to change their teaching technique. So these teachers are reluctant to learn the technology so they can teach it to their students. So students suffer because their teachers refuse to explore such resources. Because teachers, and we as future teachers are giving the knowledge to our future generations, we should be ready and willing to help them confront what they will be seeing in the real world.
Judy Chandler encourages teachers to teach our children through using technology in the math classrooms. It can help you get through more material with your students. It also lets everyone learn in a different way. We should provide meaningful ways of keeping our students interested. It can be done by using visual presentations, audio recordings, or exploring pictures.
These podcasts were very helpful in demonstrating and explaining the importance of incorporating technology in our classroom. You can teach them but also put it into action for them through technology. Lecturing and taking notes can only go so far as to teach children and have them retain that material. If we can keep it more interesting for the students they will be able to learn much more.
Math has always been the most difficult subject for me so I know how some children feel in the math classroom. Any resources that we can use to change the way they feel about a subject can only do them good. Tools are out there for us to really put to use. Introduce them to the world of technology because they will definitely see it when it comes time for them to be in the workplace. I know that some of us as teachers and future teachers are quite ignorant when it comes to technology but it is our job to teach ourselves to get it to the students. As teachers we should never stop learning.

The Stanford Challenge

This podcast was an interview with information about the growth and fixed mindsets. A student with a fixed mindset believes that their intelligence is fixed. The student can't do any better because of what they think of their own abilities. It is pretty difficult for students with a fixed mindset to learn in a strange environment or to learn unfamiliar concepts.
Students in the growth mindset easily adapt in different learning environments. For these students the brain gets larger and they have the potential to learn more. The importance of this category is that every student can learn unfamiliar concepts and learn more in general. There is always more room for knowledge because learning is not fixed.
I believe that each child has different learning abilities but they are all able to learn more. What I should do as their teacher is help them to understand the growth mindset to allow them to learn better just by believing that. This concept makes me think "Believe in yourself". You know it sounds cheesy and your students will probably think it is just as cheesy but if you make them believe in themselves it will only help them. Everyone is capable of learning more but if you have a fixed mindset it can render what you are able to do. At the age they are in school is the time they can absorb the most information, so if they miss out on that time because they have a fixed mindset then it will probably affect them the rest of their life.

A Night in the Coral Reef

This video was for grades 6th-8th. It first began by showing the life you will see while the sun is up then quickly delves into life at night in the water. It as a lot of different shots to show you lots of different fish, plant life and other things that live in the water. Each animal that was talked about had its own little tune to go with it. Some animals are easier to spot at night than in the daytime. Night is completely different from when the sun comes back out. And that is how the video ends. Back to life when the other animals come back out of hiding.
One reason I think that these podcasts are a great tool for teachers is for the soul fact that they are short clips. I know that sounds a little silly but I truly believe we loose out students' attention in long lectures. When they are not interested or entertained by the subject matter they will either not retain that information or they will not listen at all. This video was just long enough to give them the lesson the students needed before it became to long as they lost interest. This video could be the best way for them to get the information.
Another reason these podcasts are great for teachers is that they are seperated for grades. You can see if you are a high school teacher to pick the videos under 9th-12th. They are easy to access and helpful to get a quick lesson in that can teach them alot. Students that are visual learners can really get some help from these videos instead of trying to read about the material.

Edutopia

The Edible Schoolyard is a middle school in California made a better to better understand subjects throught the idea of nature. The beginning of school does not start with papers and the challenges of waking up. The students are actively involved in learning as soon as they walk through the door. The students go out to the garden to begin their learning. Students learn about condensation and evaporation from the reain and water. Through measuring the fruits, the children learn about measuring for cooking and some math. Students learn about where the fruits come from or what each is called in another country. They learn about teamwork and the environment.
The Heifer Ranch is a place for students to learn about poverty, work, and teamwork. They get to understand struggles of children that are not as well off as they are. The students were divided into groups and given certain resources. Every group had a resource that the other group needed. The students have to learn to cooperate and work together. They are really being taught what they cannot see in their community and given the insight into what they can do to help.
It might not be possible for me as a teacher to create a garden for my students but i might be able to have some potted plants in my classroom for a mini version of this lesson. I really beleive in visual learners and giving something to my students to work with to better understand a lesson.
The second podcast makes me try and think of a community service that I can get my students into locally. In middle school I went to St. Mary's Home and tutored children. There are many places in Mobile you acan choose from to show the students people are in need. Penelope House, St. Mary's Home, Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army, etc.

MGM ACCESS Lab Visit

I loved visiting the ACCESS Lab at Mary G. Montgomery High School. I think that all future teachers should take time out and learn what it is all about. It is a very new program but it rapidly growing and moving in to all the local schools.
The lab at MGM is set up like a regular classroom with cameras, microphones, and computers. the instructor can have his class up on the web and also up to three others at one time that can see his lesson. This instructor I visited with had a class physically sitting in front of him and also a class that could see him that was not actually at the school. He believes this is a great new program that can really help students. He mostly deals with honors and AP students that can take more upper level courses from him on ACCESS. One of the other instructors I got to meet was a science teacher that had a link to teachertube.com on her page. This gives students a visual aid and extra practice. They said that not many ACCESS teachers have this for the students but it is a very good tool.
The instructor I visited with also believes that ACCESS has some problems. It is so new that it still needs some tweaks to make it better to use. Since everyone is backing this program it should not be a problem to get input from the teachers and help it get better. All new things have to be modified.
I really was impressed with ACCESS and wanted to one day become an instructor. I am striving to be an English teacher and they said that there is really no need for English teachers on ACCESS because it is really for classes that students cannot get in an everyday school. They told me if i specialize in one part, like mythology, then there might be more of a possibility.
I saw from the lab that there needs to be improvement but I am still very impressed with what has been done for students through ACCESS!

Different Approaches to Podcasts

I have listened to podcasts from SmartBoard, KidCast, ConnectLearning, EdTechtalk, MacBreak Weekly, and This Week in Photography. I found differences in these podcasts in how they were set up and presented. Some of them had similar affects but were used for differents purposes.
SmartBoard used music as an entrance and also used it as a background while different people were talking. The podcast sounded like radio and it was a debate between a group of people. This was much like the podcast by MacBreak Weekly. It also sounded like radio talk but the music was used for blending between discussion.
The podcast by This Week in Photography was also similar to SmartBoard because it had music as an entrance and during talking but this podcast also had phone discussion. The KidCast podcast was a bit like the MacBreak Weekly podcast because it also had music to blend one section to another.
The podcast by ConnectLearning did not have any music and was help to students from a professor. This podcast was used to get in touch with students to give them assignments and to get them caught up if they did not get to class. The podcast by EdTechtalk also had no music but was a group discussion by a mediator and a group and people that differed.
Listening to these podcasts made me realize that if i do a podcast i would like to have an intoduction and a little music. Those podcasts with music really made it more interesting to listen to and actually seemed more professional.

Randy Pausch's Teaching Methods

Randy Pausch's lecture was awesome and very entertaining. I learned a lot from watching, especially about having a more optimistic approach to everything. I would love to have a teacher as experienced as this man is. I think I could have him as a teacher for every semester of my college career and I would still have a great amount to learn from him.
The first thing that really stood out to me about him that everyone should do is have life goals. He set goals for himself and actually went through with almost all of them. He accomplished these goals because he was very determined and wouldn't take no for an answer. When you have a teacher like this it is a good person to look up to and strive to be in the workplace.
Randy Pausch is a good teacher because he allows his students free reign to give their ideas and do hands on activities. His students actually surprised him because he allowed them to communicate their own opinions and experiment on them.
Randy Pausch would share his own ideas and experiences with the students and they could elaborate on them. They felt they learned a lot and he felt he learned something from them. He said some of the classes would get a little out of hand but it was worth it for the results he received.

iTunes University

iTunes University has been developing and giving access to teachers and students. Students are able to pull up a recording of the course and look at course content at their daily leisure. iTunes University provides 24/7 access, one can look at what they need to see on iTunes while they are working, waiting, walking, etc. ITunes provides better, more vivid images that one could not get otherwise. The schools that use this can be open to the public for others that want to learn. If a student feel they cannot get a good education because they do not live near a good school, they can use iTunes University.
iTunes Univeristy is helping students get a better, broader education by giving good access to a range of people with a range of courses. It also helps teachers explore technology and work on their computer skills.

iPods

Duke University distributed iPods to their students in an effort to improve the use of creative technology. A lot of their courses used iPods. Some of these courses reported that the access the iPod gave them helped the students have better interaction and also helps further the course content. The faculty uses the iPod as a tool for recording, repitition, access, and transferring files. The iPod is convenient because you do not need to stay in a specific location to use it. Duke's purpose in this research is to build on successes with digital audio and find innovations in technology.
I found a site called www.ipodknowledge.com. It has compiled intructions that you can find for everything about the iPod. There is also tips and tutorials. This site has information that has been collected from all over the web.

Dr. Alice Christie

I was searching through Dr. Christie's website and found the web design section the most interesting. I found it also to be what I think would be most useful to me as a teacher. I plan to have a website that can be accessed to my students so I would probably use this.
This section has all different kinds of resources like principles, a toolkit, photo editing, using tables, rubrics, little tips, and examples. You can tell that Cr. Christie has a lot of experience and this is all the information you need to design your website.

Presentation

Wikipedia

I don't think they will ever get Wikipedia to be a reliable source but if they can it will take a long time. Every English professor that I have had in South Alabama has not accepted Wikipedia as a source for papers. I have always been told by these professors that it is very likely that the information on this site is not factual because anyone can put words on the site. I have never used Wikipedia to gain knowledge because I don't trust it. Even if they fix the problem I still do not think that many people will take the site any more factual. Viewers will still worry about the reliability of the information.

Correcting Links that Do Not Work

The four most important reasons that links do not work:

1. The link in not correctly spelled.
2. Nothing is placed between the two part of an a tag. I will demonstrate this to you.Apple's Web Site which you may find interesting.
3. You forgot to include http:// in the address. It must be included.
4. Sometimes Google doesn't like a / after the address. Try removing it.

180 Days Response

Are there really 180 days of education? That is absolutely a big no! There are 180 days of school, but not learning. There are so many distractions set up by the school systems and by the emphasis on testing. Doesn't everything revolve around tests? Schools are so set in their traditional ways and don't branch out into others things, so these students are going to suffer because of this fact. Maybe new tests should be made on new material. School systems need to just move out of the comfort zone.
Maybe we should pace ourselves throughout the school year, instead of having whole days that are filled with absolutely no learning. This will help our students not feel as stressed under the pressure of a more compacted day. I believe that the way our school year is set up actually has a bad affect on the students. Those stressful days when we try to cram everything in that the students need to know, make our students reject the enjoyment of learning. We are teaching them that learning is a lot of work that puts a great deal of pressure on them.

The Fischbowl Response

Karl Fisch's question, 'Is it okay to be technologically illiterate?' brings up alot of thoughts for me. I feel so behind. I am a junior in college and have never done a powerpoint and have little computer use on a daily basis. I know, as a teacher, I must prepare my students for their careers, but am I prepared to do that? I think the answer is no for right now. I am beginning to understand I should take extra classes and work at home to improve my computer literacy.
Another huge thing that I think of that is not being mentioined my Fisch is what technology is provided in schools? I have been a substitute teacher at two schools and cannot believe how old the technology is compared to what the students probably have available to them at home. The computers take forever to start up, they crash during classes, they are loaded with viruses, and limit the students and teachers to what they can learn. I was learning from the Mavis Beacon Typing Program when I was in elementary school and the school I taught in was using it just as much, eight years later! It is important to get better technology in the schools so they can learn more and it won't take the whole class just to get the computers to work.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BLOGS

I FOUND TWO GREAT BLOGS FOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS, THE FIRST WAS A BLOG FOR THE SHU REN SCHOOL. IT IS BRAND NEW SO THE WEBSITE IS BASICALLY PROMOTIONAL. IT SHOWS THE GRAND OPENING, CELEBRATES NEW TEACHERS, INFORMATION ABOUT TUITION, THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, AND BUILDING DEVELOPMENTS. IT IS LOCATED IN BERKELEY AND THIS BLOG GIVES MORE BACKGROUND ON THE PROGRAMS THAT THE SCHOOL PROVIDES.
THE OTHER BLOG WAS FOR THE AMBRIT ROME INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL. IT IS LOCATED IN ROME. THE HOME PAGE HAS A LOT OF PICTURES OF THE CHILDREN THAT ATTEND THE SCHOOL. MOST OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL IS IN A LINK TO ANOTHER PAGE. IT ALSO HAS AN EMAIL TO CONTACT SOMEONE FOR ASSISTANCE ON ANY QUESTIONS.

Other Blogs

I FOUND TWO GOOD BLOGS ONLINE. THE FIRST ONE WAS CREATED ABOUT THE BOOK CALLED SARAH PLAIN AND TALL. IT EXPLAINS THE AUTHOR, THE PLOT, THE THEME, THE GENRE, SETTING AND CHARACTERS. THIS BLOG IS AN ONLINE LITERATURE CIRCLE FOR THIS BOOK.
THE OTHER BLOG I FOUND WAS NOEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IT IS FULL OF VIDEOS OF STUDENTS, BOOKS FROM THEIR LIBRARY, AND LINKS TO DIFFERENT WEBSITES FOR THE SCHOOL.

An Amazing Movie

This movie is very eye-opening. The statistics are much more dramatic than I would have ever thought. All of the technology we use today has been developed pretty recently yet it has expanded quicker and larger than anything that i have ever heard of. Technology has even created jobs that were not available before. Students are now being prepared for jobs that do not exist yet. Right now technology seems to be doubling every two years. If myspace was a country it would be the eighth largest country in the world.
All of this information really did surprise me. I am flabbergasted at the rate that computers and all technology has grown. I do feel like computers are completely different when we got our first computer in 1996, to now. So I do see that technology has been rapidly changing but the statistics shown on the video amazed me none the less.

ACCESS

ALABAMA CONNECTING CLASSROOMS, EDUCATORS, AND STUDENTS STATEWIDE IS GROWING AND HELPING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO GET COLLEGE CREDITS BY TAKING COURSES THROUGH ACCESS. MOST OF THE TEACHERS THAT ARE ON ACCESS ARE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA. THE GOVERNOR IS INTERESTED IN MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO ALL HIGH SCHOOLS IN ALABAMA. STUDENTS HAVE FORMS AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO SIGN UP FOR THE ONLINE COURSES AND A DETAILED LOOK AT THE COURSES THEY CAN REGISTER FOR.
THIS IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS THAT TAKE IT. THIS IS A BRAND NEW RESOURCE THAT WILL HELP THEM UNDERSTAND, PREPARE FOR, AND SPEED UP THEIR COLLEGE CAREER. I WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE USED ACCESS IF IT HAD BEEN AVAILABLE TO ME DURING MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER. HOPEFULLY IT GROWS FAST AND ALL STUDENTS IN ALABAMA CAN HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY.

The Alabama Learning Exchange is a tool for both teachers and students. When you come to the website it will have eight choices to click into. One choice is Courses of Study. This has ready-made lesson plans for all subjects and grades. The second choice is Web Links. It has three different options for teachers, administrators, and students. The next choice is Lesson Plans. This provides teachers a way to create a lesson plan for any subject and any grade. The fourth choice is Search where you are able to search the whole database for information or you may narrow your search. Another choice is Personal Workplace where you can hold an account with ALEX. The sixth choice is Professional Learning. It has links to different websites that have been found helpful for teaching. The seventh choice is Distance Learning that helps students through e-learning.
This site is great for teachers, administrators, and students equally. It provides quite a bit of help and information to one who needs it. I would definitely use ALEX for lesson plans or start my search their for other things when I become a teacher. ALEX seems extremely useful, so much so that poeple that do not know about it probably suffer.

About Me

My name is Allison Michelle Midgette. I have a twin sister that also goes to South Alabama so if i don't wave to you then it probably is not me. I've lived here all my life and don't want to live anywhere else so I decided to go to South Alabama. I want to be a teacher and am going for a double major in Secondary Education and English. Here are some general things I can tell you to give you an idea about who I am. I am an animal-lover, I play tennis, my favorite food is sushi, my favorite color is pink, I collect elephant things, and want to be a mom more than anything in the world. I hope that helps you understand what I'm about.