EDM613 Wk4 Project Post - Publishing Assignment Part 3

I’ve decided to send my report to the Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education. I chose this one because it really spoke to my AR report. One of the categories the journal looks for is research, specifically research supporting technology use in schools that will affect the training of computer-using teachers. I hope to reiterate the importance of utilizing the computer as a tool to communicate with the world. Teachers need to discover the world of social networking as it can enhance their classroom.

After deciding to go with this journal, I had to rewrite my article to slant it more toward teacher in-service computer education, rather than just a reflection on my AR report. This made the editing process a little difficult because my report was in a format that outlined my project. I peeled away different aspects of the report and replaced them with insights into why teachers should incorporate my ideas into their curriculum.

I knew my article was going to seem biased, so I didn’t worry about that. Instead, I tried to support my opinions with research, data and structured hypothesis. I really tried to pretend I was attempting to persuade the teachers at my school, in hopes that would establish the correct tone. This will be my first splash into academic publishing, and I am nervous.

As I stated in an early blog, I am a creative writer, so this assignment has scared me since I found out about it. I feel I painted the picture I wanted to communicate. I think readers will understand what I’ve done and be able to appreciate my ideas. I hope the editors feel the same way.

EDM613 Wk4 Response to Kimberly Coast

BP-Week 4 Media Asset Creation: My choice- My Dream Teaching Environment

What is my dream environment where I want to educate?

My ideal environment to teach students would be a classroom made from an old planetarium. I watched the movie Meet the Robinsons with my children in the theater when it first came out and that home really impressed me. I think having my own school in a planetarium would rock! All the ancillary rooms would function as workshop rooms (classrooms) and the main planetarium observatory would be the main classroom. Each seat would be set up with connections for the students to plug in their laptops and school would be held as a great instantaneous collaboration. Students would have the collective meeting at the beginning and end of the day in the observatory and during the middle part they would go to the ancillary workshop rooms specialized in each of the academic disciplines. The morning collective group time would be for presentation of the problems of the day and the end of the school day would be for presentations of results.

Each of the classrooms would be set up with wifi, camera presentation presenters, ceiling mounted LCD projectors, long tables with stools in the central work area for collaboration, desks along the walls for quiet individual working time, audio system ceiling embedded, and smartboards for each classroom. I also think that a holographic table like in Ironman would rock! When are they going to make THAT reality!?! Several of the rooms would be converted into weight training, spin, and dance classes. Two large auditoriums would be necessary for music instruction, as well as adjacent practice rooms. The outer grounds would also have wifi and students could work in more of a natural environment with beautiful Japanese gardens, Italian pergolas and sitting areas, and wide walkways where students could walk and stay healthy while completing school work. There would also have to be a large outdoor amphitheater for music performances. I don't want school to be confined to the four walls of a classroom alone. I think that this school would have to be private and I want to be the principal in charge of curriculum and instruction. :)

What stands in between my dream job and me? Not much really. :) With the economic situation currently I bet there is a struggling planetarium somewhere that would sell for something reasonable and I bet there are private investors who would also like to see something like what I dream of creating. I need to get an administrator's degree to lend more credibility to the process, but aside from that I think a great investment marketer could help make that a reality. The holographic table could be our first project if it hasn't been made reality yet. :)

Do I deserve my dream job? I think that I deserve the dream job and environment because I can make it a reality. I think we do deserve what we can make happen. I also think that sometimes I get way better than I deserve because the right situation presented itself at the right time and I was lucky enough to be there. I also think that I can make things happen. The skills that I bring to the project are varied. I am very creative, dynamic, organized, energetic, and capable. I am credentialed in 5 subject areas. I have had many life experiences that have equipped me with practical skills. I have traveled the world and worked on numerous mission trips for 21 years. I'm not afraid of anything and I can get my hands dirty. I can build, draft plans, create landscaping plans, haggle/negotiate, plant, fund-raise, advertise, lead, direct, and provide vital encouragement and oversight to fellow workers. I have also taught every subject and have coordinated individualized educational plans. I think that I can make this happen. :) Who is on board???

Posted by Maestra Coast at 11:48 AM

1 comments:

Tom McNamee said...

I think you and I need to open a school together as you have described virtually the same set-up I would like to create. The bottom line is that we both know how important it is for students to determine their own education; it doesn’t work when teachers are trying to force-feed information. I love the idea of a main room for the beginning and ending of the day then various rooms around it for exploration. 

I also love how you have incorporated all the multiple intelligences into your plan making sure there were areas for music and kinesthetics. I don’t think we give students enough credit; I think they would be able to handle the freedom outlined in your vision. I also think they would rotate through the rooms as needed and interact with the various media tools. Perhaps the best part of your school is how hands-on it is. It requires constant participation, ensuring the students are always doing something.

May 29, 2010 2:11 PM

EDM613 Wk4 Response to Ashley Burch

WK3 Free Choice - Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"
link to video

Little Jessica was just so inspiring, I had to blog about it. I feel like she relates well to The Art of Possibility. In my case, I look in the mirror sometimes and say: I miss my life, I miss my family, I miss my sanity, I miss my pets, I miss my art, I miss my hobbies. I feel like I have been in another world just struggling to get by each month. I can’t wait to get where this little girl is at, where the freedom of joy of life is at hand. I’ve learned so much at Full Sail and can’t wait to apply it in and out of the classroom.

Reference:

Dmchatster (Prod.). (June 16, 2009). Jessica’s “Daily Affirmation” [video]. Retrieved May 22, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg

EDM613 Wk4 Wimba make-up

Often times I don’t understand how my students can simply not turn something in. It frustrates me that they lack the motivation to at least try. Going through this masters program, while working full-time, coaching and having a one-year-old has reinforced my frustrations. Through the first 10 classes, I have maintained an A+ turning in every assignment. This month was the first time I wasn’t able to turn something in.

I was just too busy to get to the Wimba sessions to review my publication report. I did send it to a couple of my critical friends and they gave me some good advice. All of them told me to simplify my article by creating subtopics and lumping information into manageable chunks.

Looking back, I realize that I wrote with a stream of consciousness approach. I knew I wanted to write in first person, but my colleagues pointed out that I allowed that to influence my article too much. My first draft of the article was very conversational and I did what I yell at my students for – talking to the reader. I went back and cleaned it up, but still feel unsure. It’s been hard for me to pull in everything I’ve done and all the different comments I have into 2000 words.

When I went back to edit it for the final time, I tried to take a scientific approach. I focused on what I would want the reader to know, rather than what I thought was interesting. I toned down my opinions and spoke more to the process and data – all ideas my critical friends told me to think about. Like I said, I don’t think it’s perfect, but it’s a lot better than what it was.

EDM613 Wk4 Reading Post

Chapter 10 of the reading was all about responsibility and taking ownership for one’s actions. This year’s ninth graders need to read this chapter because according to them, they never do anything wrong. Placing blame on others is counter-productive for those who wish to correct problems. The book explained that each individual ultimately has some stake in everything that happens to him.

In education, this concept is extremely important when dealing with struggling students. Those with bad grades instantly look to deflect the responsibility and blame the teacher, the learning environment or anything else to avoid pointing the finger at himself. The unfortunate thing is that nothing can be achieved until the student first accepts some of the blame.

Only after students admit that they need help can they begin to work toward fixing the problem. However, this realization doesn’t come until late in their junior year, in the senior year or not until college. So many students fail multiple classes in their first two years of high school because they simply don’t have the support system in place to guide them to success. Teachers are too busy to provide the proper mentoring to those needing help. Without support from home, friends or other outlets, students begin to give up and live with the failure.

Chapter 10 does a good job painting the picture of the stereotypical person who simply learns to accept defeat. People are so quick deflecting that they never spend time reflecting. I try to spend at least one day a month going over goal setting and reflecting on past work with my students. I try to instill a sense of responsibility in them to try to create a sense of ownership over their education. When students can admit mistakes they realize it’s ok to make them.

Failure in the learning process is so important because we learn more from failure than success. When failure is viewed the correct way, it becomes a powerful tool. This chapter outlined that concept – stressing the need for people to understand their actions and consequences, not just agonizing over the bad that comes from them.

EDM613 Wk3 Project Post - Publishing Assignment Part 2

This week I have been focusing on compiling all the information for my publishing project. I have decided to just worry about writing the report before finding a place to send it to. I’m afraid if I find a place first, I will back myself into a corner as far as how I need to write the report. After I compose a good draft, I will then go out and find publications that match what I’ve produced.

I want to write my report as a casual first person reflection because that’s what I’m most comfortable with. This week has been crazy for me. My tennis team has been doing great, which means we keep advancing in the playoffs, which means no time for my homework. Unfortunately I haven’t had time to really work on it and will only have a couple of days to pull things together before it’s time for me to present.

I am feeling both stressed and relief simultaneously because of the email sent out this week discussing the directed focus of the report. While I am glad it doesn’t have to be an in-depth review of the AR report I am a little worried at how open-ended it can be. The range is quite large, but I will try to focus on what I initially set out to investigate – can using social networks help in teaching literacy. I will eliminate a lot of the discussion from my AR report and focus on the bigger picture, incorporating some things that I, myself, didn’t actually use in my AR project.

EDM613 Wk3 Response to Therese Josephson

Therese's post:

One of the things that I struggled with early in this program was how to actually implement some of the things that I was learning. I think that it is a great step forward when teachers move out of the box and assign students projects that involve Web 2.0 tools and the creation of media.

But I have never really assigned much homework in orchestra class, and don’t feel that just because I know of better ways to do it, that I should begin so now. I’ve said this before. We are hands-on already. Our focus is on improving our musicianship by playing our instruments, so that’s what we do. Play our instruments.

When I can present content with multimedia that I have created, I do so. And I’m seeing that students are far more engaged and retain the information more easily when I do this. This is exciting!

But what about having students be the creators? At the beginning of the program, I couldn’t see taking significant amounts of time away from rehearsing to do this. And, honestly, I still can’t. But I think I’ve found a solution--My student technology committee. There is a small (but growing) group of students that meets with me before school once a week to create projects that we can use in orchestra. We started with some simple games using an online template. But I think we are all most proud of our latest project.

The kids did most of the work--I offered only a few suggestions and did the voiceover because they asked me to. They were so excited to show this to their classmates, and the other students really enjoyed it.

I think that as we continue to embark on new projects and share them, more students will join us. So now, I can help students create multimedia in a way that they enjoy without losing out on the core of what we do--playing our instruments.

My response:

I agree with you – sometimes it’s been difficult trying to incorporate some of the things we’ve learned in this program. I also think it can be overwhelming, trying to bring in too many different new things too fast. I like your idea of creating a student technology committee. Sometimes what we as teachers think is cool is actually very uncool.

Having students play a bigger role in forming their curriculum is a step in the process that almost never happens, but should. If one of the biggest problems in education truly is that students don’t feel connected with what they are learning, then it makes perfect since to include them in the planning. The issue, however, is that there’s never enough time.

I try to allow students as much freedom as possible in terms of what they need to do. I’ve come to realize it’s unrealistic for me to think they can have a major in say in the overall curriculum. So, I allow them as many choices as possible. Whenever they need to write an essay I give them at least three choices. I allow them to pitch project ideas and accept almost any type of book for independent reading. I really try to mix up my assessments so that I am covering all the multiple intelligences; making sure that each student does some work with each type.

When it comes to technology, I am constantly throwing out web 2.0 tools and other applications that I find to see what the students like so that I can incorporate them into future projects. I also encourage them to try new things, telling them that they will never be marked down for thinking outside of the box. I am constantly trying to get them to experiment and be creative.

EDM613 Wk3 Response to Kelly Jankowski

WEEK #2 READING THE ART OF POSSIBILITY CHAPTERS 4-6

THE ART OF POSSIBILITY
The more I read of this book I wonder why we weren't assigned to read it at the beginning of the program. I love the creative and uplifting ideas about new possibilities in life. I am going to suggest that my 21 year old niece, who just graduated from college, living in Washington D.C., read it.

CHAPTER 4
I never experienced the dinner table game, but I do know what it feels like to judge yourself by other people's standards. I am always comparing myself to others. That's why I love the contribution game. Contribution has no other side. I started to write down my contributions for the week. I feel one of my contributions is reading to children every day. I help my husband with dinner every night. I help with cleaning the house. I do the laundry. I work and go to school. I take care of dogs every day.
I think everyone should make a list. This shows how important you really are!!!

CHAPTER 5
In chapter 5, the silent conductor is discussed. How is the conductor going to know what the players are feeling about his effectiveness? He can tell a lot by looking into their eyes, posture, and their whole demeanor. This is how I analyzed my AR project through observation. I could tell how my students were feeling more through their conversations because fifth graders really don't care if the teacher hears or not. If a project wasn't liked by some then I'd hear some moans. Occasionally, some students would roll their eyes. You can't please everyone.


CHAPTER 6
One of the reasons I married my husband was for his sense of humor. I 100% agree that laughter is the best medicine. After a good laughter, you always feel better. The discussion about calculating self and central self got a little confusing. From what I understand, calculating self is thinking of him/herself and central self appears once Rule Number 6 has been practiced. I just love the games that are played in the book. Participants were to "Have the Best ___________ Ever." It didn't matter how they filled in the blank. The participants were encouraged to remember Rule Number 6 and have it be fulfilled. This a game that could be played in real life.

EDM613 Wk3 Free Post - Electives

After reading about motivation this week it was frustrating to begin to see next year’s master schedule take shape. My school began to unveil the class options and sections that will be offered next year. I will actually be getting one computer applications class (since I will have a masters in technology), but that means I have to give up my journalism class. Today I found out that journalism will actually be disappearing next year due to budget cuts. It has now fallen like many other elective classes.

I am also the tennis coach; so two periods a day I have students in classes who are excited to be in school. I have noticed when students have something to look forward to in school; they tend to do better in their other classes. The problem is, those classes that inspire students are the ones on the chopping block. It’s unfortunate that those classes are only viewed as extra “fun” classes when they teach just as much, if not more, real-world skills than the core classes.

One of my colleagues went to a conference last year where elective classes were the focus. They stressed the need to load the freshman year with as many electives as possible to encourage students to come to high school. There was a lot of data highlighting increased attendance, participation, and grades; and yet, electives continue to be expendable. I understand the role budgets play in determining course options, but motivation needs to be taken into consideration as well.

The debate centers back on standardized testing. As long as tests dictate curriculum, electives will always be expendable. I always viewed education as the means to develop citizens and prepare them for their next chapters in life, whatever that may be. It’s unfortunate that districts care more about the money linked to the student than who the actual person is. If only districts would take some chances and invest time and money into the elective courses they may be surprised by the overall outcomes.

EDM613 Wk3 Reading Post

After reading chapters 7-9, I can’t help but conclude that these chapters were all about motivation. I think motivation is an under-rated concept when it comes to education. Teachers never really take the students’ desire to learn into consideration; they instead forge through the curriculum because they have standards to check off. I will admit that I am guilty of this at times, but I try to think about what my students would want when doing my planning.

This program has really inspired me to think of lesson design with a student-first approach. I know I often slant lessons in a way that will make it easier for me to teach, but sometimes that’s not the most productive method for my students. I have kept the idea of multiple intelligences in mind as I have explored each course and it has taught me that there are so many options in whatever you plan to do. No lesson is ever perfect or done, and each lesson should have the flexibility to cater to different ways of thinking.

“Mistakes can be like ice. If we resist them, we may keep on slipping into a posture of defeat. If we include mistakes in our definition of performance, we are likely to glide through them and appreciate the beauty of the longer run” (102). I like this metaphor because it creates a good visual. I picture someone ice-skating and can easily see the difference between a good skater and a poor one. This section of the reading reinforced how quickly something that isn’t so bad can become something terrible. It’s never as bad as it seems, and you should always be trying to figure out what went wrong.

This section of the book also described how there is too much focus on “should-be” instead of trying to understand how things are. In general, I think people are more pessimistic than optimistic, thus creating situations in which they focus more on what could have been rather than trying to figure out why it didn’t happen. This situation is especially prevalent in teaching because teachers often tend to immediately blame the students’ lack of maturity whenever a lesson doesn’t work.

The idea of downward spiral talk is in every industry or profession. It’ what makes things go from bad to worse. Again, the metaphor of ice underlines how negative thinking creates an almost impossible environment for improvement. Being aware of downward spiral talk is the best way to overcome it. Knowing how it can influence things is critical for shutting it down.

The final concept that caught my eye this month was the idea of enrollment – don’t say no, motivate others to want to do what you’re saying. This is perhaps the greatest sign of a good teacher or leader in general, the ability to get people to buy into what you are saying. In order for enrollment to occur, one needs to do everything the book outlines on a daily basis.

References:

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2002). The art of possibility. London: Penguin Books.

EDM613 Wk2 Project Post - Publishing Assignment

The publishing assignment, at first, really scared me because it sort of blindsided me. After some time, I began to realize that publishing or presenting work is the next step in progression. While I would love to present my AR findings, I know that I don’t have the time to earmark practice, let alone if I could fit the actual presentation in my schedule. With that being said – I will be presenting to my learning community within my school over the summer. I have causally talked about it with many of the teachers, but will formally sell them on the idea of utilizing social networks and learning management systems for next year. If that goes well, I hope to have the opportunity to present to the district, so that it can be spread throughout different schools.

So, that leaves me with doing a write up. I am confident in what I’ve done, but am nervous creating a real academic review of it. My degree is in creative writing and I tend to write informally. I have no idea where I want to send my work yet, although I have been on edutopia’s site a lot and wouldn’t mind submitting there. I will try to use as much of the information I have already written, so as to avoid doing everything all over again.

I said in an earlier post that I don’t feel I’ve earned the teacher credits to be able to go tell other teachers what they should be doing. I’ve only been teaching for four years, although I taught training courses in my previous job. My fear is that teachers would look at me as the young technology kid that wants to destroy their way of teaching. While I know that’s me just being silly, I am grateful for this masters program and all it taught me. I can speak with experience now and feel I have some authority in discussing technology in education. I hope to able to make waves at my school and in my district now.

EDM613 Wk2 Response to Emily Dale

Reading Week 1 Boxed In

Friday, May 7, 2010

While reading “The Art of Possibilities”, I have come to realize how we construct boundaries and limitations on ourselves because we are alway trying to live up to our or someone else’s expectations. When we fair to meet those expectations, we become boxed in. Our survival instincts kick in. I can safely say, that I am in that survival mode right now. I have set the bar of expectation so high for myself, that failure is not an option. So needless to say, I am totally freaking out about all the work I need to do before graduation. One thing I have learned from my reading is how to look beyond my situation and think outside of the box because that situation does not define who I am. I have also learned that there are a universe of possibilities out there, we just have to look at our lives in a different way. I have vowed to ask myself each day, “Are you looking at the glass as if it is half empty or are you looking at it as if it is half full”.

I plan to look at it as if it is half full!

Also, in chapter 3, I had this profound ah-ha moment. There was a letter that was written by one of Mr. Zander’s A students. It was so profound to me because my daughter came to me and wondered what she could do to become famous (she sings really well). She was listening to one of her favorite artists when she said, “Why can’t I sing runs like that?” She is constantly comparing herself to others and gets upset when she does not measure up. After reading this particular letter, I have already written down what I am going to say to her to encourage her to give herself and A so that she can open herself up to a world of possibilities.

1 Comment

Tom McNamee

I totally hear you. I too tend to set my bar way too high, it’s been an issue I’ve always had. It was difficult for me to relate to my students when I first began teaching because I couldn’t get my head around how uninspired some students were. I just don’t understand this generation’s lack of expectations. A lot can be said it’s due to technology and media, but I think it’s much deeper than that.

As a society, I think we’ve watered down possibilities. I think people are too content living through people, rather than pursuing those lives themselves. Parents, teachers, communities don’t hold students accountable enough for their actions or lack of motivation. You mentioned looking outside the box, beyond the situation. I think that is what’s lacking today – the ability for people to look beyond their problems. It’s easier to deal with them than correct them, ignore them, rather than face them. Too many students see the glass half empty.

The glass is half empty because the way the education system portrays the glass makes it look that way. There is too great an emphasis on college, when it’s not practical that every student will attend. Until the education system realizes the job of teachers is to prepare students for the next step, not college, things won’t change. There are so many possibilities out there that are not given enough credit that it creates an all-or-nothing scenario. When students know they won’t be going to college, they give up and they can’t see beyond their perceived failure.

Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 11:19 PM

EDM613 Wk2 Response to Kelly McKinley

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2010

Wk 2 Publishing/Leadership

When looking for a possible idea for publication, I came across this conference. I had gone to the TI:ME website to see if they had a publication. This was posted on the front page of the website.

I am a little nervous about the possibility of speaking in front of my fellow music teachers. I still think of myself as being relatively young. People that present at conferences are leaders in their field and have been teaching for years. How could I possibly present? Then I remember how old I really am and not the age that I tell everyone (29). It floors me just how many years have passed. I've been teaching for fifteen years now. Perhaps I do have something to teach other teachers? This would be a really great conference.

EDM613 Wk2 Reading Post

I found chapter 6 in this week’s reading to be very relevant on multiple levels. The idea of rule number 6 - not taking your self so seriously, is paramount to be successful as a teacher or someone in a leadership role. Too often, people worry too much about perception and about being right. They think if they show any sign of weakness it will come back to hurt them. The truth is, when you laugh, you show your students or employees that you are human, and that is more important than some fake façade.

Understanding your own self-image is important because it can build confidence. However, understanding how others perceive their own self-image is also important, especially as a teacher. The idea of the calculating self, a method of defining who we are individually holds as much weight in the classroom as it does out. “They [children] grow up in a medium of language and have a long, long time to think. A child comes to think of himself as the personality he gets recognition for or, in other words, as the set of patterns of action and habits of thought that get him out of childhood in one piece,” (82).

Teens fall into this trap all the time, creating self-fulfilling prophecies. The “bad” students are constantly reminded how bad they are by what their teachers say or how they react to them. Many act out in class because that’s the only recognition they know how to garner. Most of these students are not bad, just confused. They continue in this down ward spiral because it’s all they know. I try to bite my tongue before yelling at students because I know many of them are just trying to gain attention that way.

While the chapter spoke to me as a teacher, it really connected with me as a coach. I coach tennis, and the idea of the calculating self is very relevant on the court. The idea that players need to find who they are on the court in terms of maintaining a level of high energy paired with the ability to remain cool-headed is important and difficult. All sports tackle this problem, but in tennis, it is magnified by the fact that the individual is by himself. When players begin to feel threatened or embarrassed, most become angry, trying to distract blame from their game. We are in the middle of playoffs right now, and I actually quoted several sections of this chapter during practices to get my team mentally prepared.

References:

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2002). The art of possibility. London: Penguin Books.

EDM613 Wk2 Wimba Post

After watching this week’s Wimba session I was relieved to find out that I’m not the only one going crazy. There were a lot of questions asked that helped me really hone in on different aspects of the AR project that I was still a little unsure of. What sparked my attention, in terms of presented information, was the explanation of the publishing project.

As an English teacher, I understand how the audience of a piece of work navigates it toward its purpose. Understanding who will be reading an essay changes what you will write and how you will write it. Teaching audience in writing was almost my AR project, but I couldn’t really connect it with technology in a way that worked for me.

I spend a lot of time during the year giving my students lessons in which they have to write something in different ways – for different audiences. When I give essays, I tell them who their audience is, rather than have them just write to me – the teacher. Since I changed my approach to essay writing, I have noticed the quality of the work has improved. Much like my AR report showed, when students are given the chance to collaborate and be more social within their educational system, they produce better products. They feel as if their work holds more value and they try harder.

Understanding audience also helps to define what should be in the essay. Students always claim that they don’t know how to start brainstorming or don’t know what to write. When they know exactly whom they are writing to, they can begin to cater their thinking toward that audience. This helps eliminate anxiety and allows the writer to write with more purpose.

EDM613 Wk1 Project Post - Finishing Lit Review

Wrapping up the different parts of the AR website is something that has been a long time coming. While I am excited that it is almost over, I am stressed because it is almost over. I have all the information I need and have done everything, but was thrown a curve ball. I was under the assumption that our Literature reviews would be looked at for the second time during month 11, not that they should be completely done.

The entire AR process has been frustrating for me because I haven't been able to stay on it as much as I would have liked to. Even though we have had help from Roxanne, I don't feel like I have gotten the support I needed to really be successful. When I received my feedback for my lit review it was four months after I submitted it. The comments were done in a way that sounded like suggestions, rather than mandatory things. I sent in my lit review again last Wednesday and received feedback Saturday. The biggest problem- I was over a thousand words too long.

I am now frantically trying to shave down, combine, and synthesize my work. While it will not have received its second look by the due date Tuesday, hopefully I will get feedback soon and be able to have everything corrected by the end of this month. I have just felt that the AR report hasn't always been treated as something important, until now. I know we have been working on it independently, but a little more direction would have been nice.