For Better or Worse? My Experience of Teaching in the “Smart Classroom”

I was my pleasure teaching in the “smart classroom” during my first quarter in The Collins College of Hospitality Management  at Cal Poly Pomona.  The classroom installs four Apple TVs, which enable professors and students to stream the same (or different) content on four different screens.  And yes, if you wonder, there is an app for this “smart classroom.”

I think this is a very “cool” classroom.  It definitely provides more flexibility for professors and students.  To name a few examples, I was able to stream class lectures using the SlideShark app on my iPad, making it easier for me to walk around to engage with different groups of students or answer students’ questions.  When we were having a guest lecture session via Skype, I was able to keep one or two screens for the guest speaker (Skype) and at the same time, showed students relevant content on other screens. 

The “smart classroom,” however, is not always working for the better.  There were also a couple of times when Apple TVs did not function well (e.g., when Apple upgraded the iOS system).  I ended up giving a lecture without any visual assistance.  There were also a few times when SlideShark dropped from AirPlay too often.  I had to download the lecture file to a desktop and teach with a mouse and keyboard in the front.  To some extent, such technology failures remind me the challenges every service worker faces in the hospitality industry.  In front of the unexpected, we have to remain calm and come up with a creative way as soon as possible to fix the problem(s).

The biggest challenge actually comes from classroom control.  Because students were sitting in groups and they were “everywhere” in the room, I had to keep my attention on every corner of a big classroom no matter where I was standing.  I also needed to pay more attention to voice projection and repeat students’ questions every time before I gave the answers.  While I could walk towards those students who were wandering to “remind” them that they were being watched, I had learned soon that I should not move too often.  Otherwise, I would be “too busy” walking around, and those paying close attention might feel “too busy” following me.

Looking forward, I will continue teaching in the “smart classroom” during the winter quarter.  I am very happy about that, but at the same time, I would like to hear your feedback and suggestions.  If you have taught in a similar setting, what works for you? What lesson(s) do you learn?  Or, if you have attended a class in a similar setting, what do you like or dislike the most?  What suggestions will you make to your professors or guest speakers to enhance your learning experience?

Relevant discussion:

Learning while Tweeting: Why Not? 

Interested in a Sales/Marketing Position? You’d Better Start Tweeting

Traditionally, companies promote sales by initiating one-way, and often persuasive messages to influence buyers’ purchasing decisions, but social media has destroyed the “one-to-many-communication” model. And because of that, if one wants to work in the field of sales and marketing, s/he must know how to communicate effectively on social media.

Well, many people have already been active on Facebook and Instagram. Isn’t it enough? Probably, at least they know how to “talk” as a customer. The challenge is B2C (business-to-consumer) communications are very different from C2B (consumer-to-business) and C2C (consumer-to-consumer) communications because everything posted on a company’s Facebook page or Instagram profile must reflect a brand’s or a company’s core value. Do you notice any differences between the Facebook messages posted on McDonald’s page and the ones on Chick-fil-A’s page?

A good sales/marketing manager must also know how to measure and document the ROI (return on investment) of a company’s effort on social media marketing. Very likely, most internet users do not even pay attention to how many friends they actually engage on social networking sites. If that’s the case, can they determine if a B2C communication strategy is working or not based on measurable outcomes?

Additionally, a good sales/marketing manager must go beyond Facebook and Instagram. At a minimum, s/he must also be active on LinkedIn and Twitter. According to the Wall Street Journal, Twitter now has over 230 million monthly active users. Some companies have already gained great success in promoting sales on Twitter. For a hotel, Twitter can be an “easy and inexpensive way to get in touch with its audience and to form community bonds.”  

If you still feel doubt about Twitter, let’s hope the following Bloomberg video will add some weight to my argument. In your opinions, what are the important skills that a sales/marketing manager should possess in the social media era? What can a candidate do to better prepare himself/herself for the challenges facing sales/marketing managers these days?


References:
The picture was downloaded from Guladigital.com.

Learning while Tweeting: Why Not?

Using smartphones in class?  Don’t students have enough distractions?  Doesn’t tweeting or texting make students disrespectful to the professor in class?

As a professor myself, I certainly understand how distracting a smartphone can be to a student in class, but at the same time, I also believe using smartphones and tablet computers can enhance students’ learning experience if they are used appropriately.  Here is my experience.   

When I taught at Texas Tech, I had a strict policy that prohibits students from using laptops and cellphones in class.  I adopted the same policy when I first moved to Syracuse University (SU).  It made sense at that time because I wanted students to engage with me in face-to-face and verbal discussion. 

Time has changed, however.  When I developed and taught the social media class at SU and RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology).  I turned to the opposite direction.  I requested to teach in a computer lab.  Students were encouraged to used laptops, smartphones, and tablet computers, and they were required to tweet during class.  I administrated class discussion on Twitter.  Afterwards, either a student or I would summarize the class discussion on Storify.  Students could refer to class discussions (notes) on Storify at any time.  It seems to me students were engaging on Twitter.  In the end, they also became very familiar with Twitter as a communication tool, which was also one of the learning outcomes of the class.  I have found it very helpful by allowing students to use tablets or smartphones in class. 

Will students take advantage of the lenient policy?  What if they also check on something that they are not supposed to, such as writing a none-class-related post on Facebook or shopping online?  I take it this way – if students are good at multi-tasking, which means they are able to engage on Twitter and do other things at the same time, I respect them and let them continue what they are doing in class.  If they are not participating, I will “pull” them back to the class by asking them to elaborate what is said on Twitter. 

Very soon, I will be teaching in The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona.  I feel fortunate that I can teach in the “smart” classroom, which can be controlled with an iPad and has multiple screens.  I am encouraged to replace the professor-centered idea with a student-centered pedagogy.  It doesn’t matter what subjects I am teaching, I will definitely encourage students to use smartphones and/or tablet computers to interact with me, in addition to face-to-face conversations.  I am looking forward to trying out new educational apps and new teaching tactics in the “smart” classroom.  Please stay tuned for more updates.

In the end, I would like to share with you a Wall Street Journal video, which is also about using smartphones in classroom.  In your opinions, should students be allowed to use smartphones in class?  Why or why not?  What are the best practices for professors to engage with students in class?

Relevant discussion:

The Challenges of Using Social Media in Teaching

Teaching Social Media in Business Schools: What Needs to Be Covered?

Text Messages that Teach: A Great Example of Entrepreneurship in the Mobile Device Market

Can a Tough Cell Phone Policy Teach Teenagers Cell Phone Etiquette?

Still Feeling Reluctant to Adopt a Social Media Strategy: Please Think Again

Reference:

The picture was downloaded from Kellimarshall.net 

Social Networking at Age 13: Why Not?

LinkedIn announced two updates, according to The Wall Street Journal.  First, LinkedIn introduced verified university pages, providing new cyber space for applicants, current students, alumni, faculty, and staff to engage with one another.  Second, LinkedIn dropped the minimum age for the website to 13 (14 in the U.S.).  Facing these new changes, some people are concerned about whether teenagers should be allowed to access an additional social networking site.  They ask: will it be early?

I completely understand where the criticism comes from.  Many teenagers are already allowed to use a variety of social networking sites.  Recently, Twitter even completely removed the restriction on age limit (used to be 13 or older).  LinkedIn was established as the social networking site for professionals.  What is good for teenagers to spend additional time on another network?  Also, will it be too early for teenagers to get engaged in the professional world?

When it comes to career preparedness, I always believe the earlier the better.  If I were a parent of teenagers, I would be glad to see my kids “hanging out” on LinkedIn.  The university pages can be very helpful to teenagers when they need to make an informed decision about majors and colleges.  Besides verified university pages, teenagers and college students can also check out pages for their dream employers and get a feeling of the organizational culture.  The more they know about their dream employers, the better they will understand the employers’ expectations, which will help them make a better plan for their career. 

If I were an admission officer in a university or a recruiter for a company, I would also be glad to talk to a teenager on LinkedIn or just any social networking sites.  While students need to make informed decisions, universities and companies also need to assess the “fit” between the candidates and the job/organization.  Many universities and companies have already been actively engaging with the candidates on other social networking sites, why not on LinkedIn as well?

Besides these two, what other changes do you see on LinkedIn? What is your experience with the changes?  Please share your experience and thoughts with us.

Relevant discussion:

Can You Carry a Good Conversation? The Basic of Social Networking

Making Personal Connections in Job Search

Tactics of Seeking Jobs on Social Media

Career Preparedness: How Early is Too Early?

Reference:

The picture was downloaded from CarpetBaggery

Last week, I visited Google LA Office with a friend.  We went there to pick up his Google Glass.  Supposedly, I should talk about my experience with the Glass, right?  But in fact, I would rather share with you my reflections on the tour.

I arrived 30 minutes ahead of schedule, but two Google associates had been waiting for me and my friend in front of the office.  They told me they were in the Google Glass Team.  In the LA office, there are about 20 members in the team.  Each team member is also part of the 3000+ “explorers” selected by Google to test the prototype.  For now, the Glass is only available (and tested) in the U.S. market.  Google seeks feedback from the explorers for product improvement.  Google also analyzes what people talk about the product on the internet.  During our visit, the associates spent two hours showing us step-by-step how to operate the Glass.  We were encouraged to spend as much time as we wanted until we felt comfortable with the Glass.

If you really want to hear my true opinions about the Glass, I must admit that I am not very excited about the current prototype.  It needs more improvement before it can become the next big thing.  I, however, was impressed with this innovative idea and Google’s effort on the product.  

Based on visits to Google (I also toured the Google Campus in Mountain View two years ago), it is not difficult for me to figure out why this company is doing so well in the market.  Today, almost 80% of smartphones being shipped in the global market operate on the Android platform.  As of August 17, 2013 (Saturday), Google’s stock is selling at $856.25 a share; Apple and Microsoft are selling for $503.10 and $31.80 a share respectively.  

What makes a company successful?  Besides other contributing factors, it appears to me that a company’s success must root in its ability to provide useful solutions for human beings.  Microsoft was very successful when it introduced Windows, allowing people to “communicate with” computers using the easy-to-understand “human languages.”  Apple became the most admired company when it introduced iPhone and iPad.  Today, both companies are still doing very well, but investors are showing concerns of their future.  At a point when a company is no longer able to provide innovative approaches to solve real-life problems, the halo around the company fades.  I am glad to see Google is very serious about the Glass and is actively seeking feedback from customers.  Because of that, I am expecting to see big improvement of the Glass soon.   

In the end, I would like share with you a 60 Minutes Interview by CBS.  It features Bill Gates on how he views technology and innovation.  I hope more companies and institutions will focus on research that helps people solve real-life problems.  Regardless how “small” a problem may look like, an innovative solution may have big impact to people’s lives.

Do you believe innovation is the key for success in business?  If so, where do innovative ideas come from?   

Relevant discussion:

Great Entrepreneurship Ideas Must Root in Useful Service 

Creating an Organizational Cultural that Nurtures Freedom of Thinking 

To check out more pictures about my tours of Google, please visit:
Facebook Album - Tour of Google LA Office

Facebook Album - Tour of Google Campus in Mountain View

The Basic of Digital Etiquette

If you are reading my blog now, you are probably also very active on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites.  Over the years, has anyone made you wonder if s/he needs training on digital etiquette?

It happened that Today’s Show also discussed this topic earlier. Let’s see if it is well-said. Here are some highlights:  

• “Unplug” completely during vacation.
• Do not over posting “food porn” unless the food is really special or in a special occasion. Also, do it when it does not bother others in the restaurant and the servers.
• Limit the number of hashtags --- there is not a set limit. Personally, I think it is good to have up to three hashtags for every post. Too many hashtags equal to no hashtag for me. For that being said, it is a idea to create a hashtag for a special event like a wedding for tracking.
• A written thank you note is always better than a thank you message on e-mail. 
• Just like daily conversations, too many update about a person’s political views, personal opinions, and his/her life might annoy other people.

I believe the basic of digital etiquette is simple --- be thoughtful to others. In this case, we need to keep in mind “WIIFM” (What’s In It For Me? Me = the audience). Sharing updates on social media is certainly important, but engaging with the audience is the key to develop a meaningful relationship.  

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

  

Relevant discussions: 

Etiquette for the New Age 

Social Media Etiquette for Business 

Dinner Etiquette 

New Dining Etiquette by Zagat 

Smart Phone Etiquette 

Mobile Etiquette on Vacation 

Mobile Etiquette 

Wedding Etiquette in the Age of Social Media 

Wedding Etiquette 

International Etiquette 

  

References:

The picture was downloaded from NBCNews.com

Wedding Etiquette in the Age of Social Media

In today’s age, a guest shares an average of 22 photos per wedding on social media sites (The Today Show - NBC News Network). The truth is no matter if we like it or not, social media has forever changed the way people do weddings, but does everyone know the wedding etiquette in the age of social media? Based on what is discussed in the NBC News video, I recommend the following:

For the Bride and Groom

• Make up your mind if you prefer to either keep your wedding private or make it a “public” event on the internet.
• If you want to keep yours a private and exclusive event, make it clear that you do not want anyone to post anything on the internet.
• If you do not mind making yours a “public” event, you may do yourself a favor by creating a hashtag for your wedding and encourage your guests to post updates using the hashtag. Unless you have told your guests not to share any updates about your wedding, chances are you will find updates and pictures about your wedding everywhere on the internet anyway. So, creating a hashtag will help you better organize the updates, pictures, and videos about your wedding later.
• Provide your guests clear RSVP instructions (e.g., surface mail, e-mail, online, and etc.).
• Engage with your guests before and after the wedding by participating in their conversations about your wedding --- you will be occupied with many other and more important things during the wedding.

For Wedding Guests

• Respect the bride and groom for their privacy preference of their wedding.
• If they want to keep the wedding a “private” event, do not share anything about the wedding before, during, or after the event.
• If the bride or groom did not tell you their preference, ask before posting anything about the wedding on the internet.
• Ask for permission of other guests before posting or tagging pictures of them (we should do that in every occasion really).
• Take off a picture immediately if one of the persons in the picture asks you to do so.
• Follow the RSVP instructions (e.g., surface mail, online invitation, e-mail, etc.).
• Pay full attention to the groom and bride during the wedding and enjoy the experience of being there as a guest, unless you are expected to be the photographer for the wedding.

Have I covered every key point? What else do you want to add to the list? What is the “inappropriate social-media behavior(s)” you have seen in a wedding?

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

References:

The picture was downloaded from arkarthick.com 

Smartphones: An Effective Means for Employee Recruitment

SoLoMo – Social, Local, and Mobile – is not a trend; it is happening right now on this moment. If a company does not have a clear SoLoMo strategy or a mobile-optimized website by now, the company has fallen behind in competition.

I am an optimistic person and thus believe many companies have already taken SoLoMo seriously. Otherwise, they have probably been defeated by their competitors who embrace SoLoMo. My real concern is that not every company has an integrated SoLoMo strategy. Often, companies pay close attention to SoLoMo’s effect on sales and marketing. A true integrated strategy, however, must include every facet of business operations into considerations.

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported a story that highlighted the SoLoMo’s impact on employee recruitment. According to this report, mobile devices will outpass desktops/laptops and become Americans’ preferred method for accessing the internet by 2015. Among the Fortune 500 companies, 167 (33%) have already had career portals that are optimized to fit in a smartphone screen. A year ago, only 65 companies did so.

McDonald’s and Macy’s are the two examples cited in the report. McDonald’s launched its mobile career site back in 2008.  At that time, three million people visited the mobile site and 24,000 actually submitted an application on the mobile site. By 2012, McDonald’s received two million applications, with a record of 30 million visits of its mobile career site. Today, McDonald’s mobile career site brings over 10% of applications to the company.

Macy’s tested its mobile-optimized career page in 2011 with selected positions like software developers and marketers before the company rolled out a mobile page for hourly employees in 2012. Today, Macy’s receive 20-25% of applications from its mobile career page.

Recently, Convenience Store Decisions and Humetrics conducted a national human resource (HR) survey with nearly 100 convenience store chains, representing 12,000 stores in the U.S. The results also support SoLoMo’s impact on HR operations, including:

• The two most effective recruiting tools for hourly employees are in-store ads or outdoor signage and employee referral program. For salaried positions, internet job boards and company websites become the two most effective methods.
• Social media are being used in recruitment by 28% of respondents, significantly higher than what was reported in 2012 (2%).
• The usage of CraigsList for recruiting hourly employees increased from 21% in 2011 to 25% in 2012 (Craigslist also has a mobile app).
• Only 5% stores are using social media sites for screening now, but another 5% plan to add checking social media sites as a screening method in 2013.
• About 22% suggested they will adopt new training technologies, such as e-Learning, Webinars, learning management systems, smartphones, iPad, PC, among many others.

Another market-research report by Nielsen found that 63% of Americans use mobile devices to access social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn (Weber, 2013). Mobile devices indeed provide a great means for companies to reach potential candidates. To embrace SoLoMo, some employers also use QR codes and text-messaging in mobile recruiting.

One challenge of doing mobile recruiting, however, is that mobile-optimized career sites might not be as easy to navigate as the sites on laptops/desktops (Weber, 2013). Regardless, SoLoMo in HR is happening now.

Do you think SoLoMo will play an even more important role in HR? How about its impact on other areas of business operations? How can businesses respond to the SoLoMo movement? Referring to your personal experience, for what purposes do you use mobile devices? Do you believe your smartphone can help you find a job in the future? Why or why not?

Relevant Discussion: 
SoLoMo for Social Media Strategists

HR Challenges Created by Social Media 

Hiring Created Minds as the Chief Innovative Officer  

References:

Kleiman, Mel. (April, 2013). The 2013 convenience store human resources study. Convenience Store Decisions, 24(4), p. 26-30.

Weber, Lauren. (April 24, 2013). How your smartphone could get you a job: McDonald’s, Macy’s customize their career sites, but most companies aren’t moving fast enough. The Wall Street Journal, retrieve online on April 24, 2013 via http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323551004578441130657837720.html

The picture was downloaded from teczealots.com

SoLoMo for Social Media Strategists

A successful social media strategy must integrate three key components: “social,” “local,” and “mobile.” According to a recent special report in the Nation’s Restaurant News, $159 billion of U.S. retail sales in 2012 were influenced by SoLoMo. Over 116 million people own smartphones. In July 2012 alone, 90 million American had accessed retail information on their mobile devices. Additionally, 38% of mobile users opted in to receive location-based promotional text messages and that 18% used a location-based social media app such as Foursqure to check in at a venue. How can any business come up with an excuse of not participating in SoLoMo?

The following include some best practices and direct quotes from the report. For example, Texas Roadhouse initiated a “TextUs Loyalty Club” campaign. The redemption rate reached 17% during a six month trial period, much higher than those using other media sources.

Nearly two fifth of Pita Pit’s new likes came from smartphone users on Facebook’s app.

“We listened to our most passionate fans and found exciting ways to get the Cool Ranch (Doritos Locos Taco) in their hands before it was available nationwide… We doubled our YouTube views in one month and saw our engagement go through the roof… (We) start with listening to what is trending and what our consumers are saying.” --- Tressie Lieberman (@tresslieberman), Director of Digital and Social Marketing, Taco Bell, a Division of Yun! Brands Inc.

“We’re just starting to look at Vine and Instagram, and we’re asking our customers how they’d interact on that platform (Vine).” --- Caroline Masullo (@CMM2B), Director of Digital and Social Marketing, Pizza Hut, a Division of Yum! Brands Inc.

“Traffic and sales are the most critical (return on investment) measures. We also measure brand perception and likelihood to suggest the brand or menu item (to friends). We also pay close attention to how our community is growing.” --- Jill McFarland, Senior Manager of Digital and Social Media, Applebee’s, a Division of DineEquity Inc.

“Twitter is a more casual and conversational medium than Facebook and really lends itself to interacting with consumers in a fun way. A&W has such a great mascot that we want to utilize as much as possible, so why not put Rooty in charge of guest listening?” --- Rooty and Great Root Bear, Mascot and Spokesbear, A&W Restaurants Inc.

“When hired, Wion was charged with aligning McDonald’s U.S. social media strategies and tactics with U.S. and global disciplines…We have guidelines on how people talk about their jobs in their own social feeds. Our customer service team has been a part of our social media efforts from the beginning, and our insights teams work more with us, as well, taking what we monitor in social and using it to inform operations, culinary and HR.” Rick Wion, Director of Social Media, McDonald’s Corp.

As a professional in social media field, what lessons do you learn from these best examples and social media strategists? What other best examples may you share with us?

As a customer, which mobile app has the most engaging experience (with you)? What are the cool mobile apps that you are using? Do you mind recommending some of those cool apps to us?

Relevant Discussion: 

“SoLoMo”and Legislation

Is It a Good Business Strategy to Offer Phone-Free Discount?

References:

Nation’s Restaurant News. (April 15, 2013). Special Report: Harnessing the power of social media. p. 12-20.

The infographic was downloaded from Mashable.com. 

Did You Know?- Social Me by Zeebly

How conscious are you of the statuses you post on Facebook? Do you know how many Statuses you have posted since your Facebook birthdate? In August 2012, this social media application called Social Me, published by a company called Zeebly launched and created a patent to gain access to a copy of the data that is exposed on Facebook. The data is collected and put together using statuses, likes, post times, friends, and many other things that help discover the lives and personalities of the people who use Social Me.

Social Me captures data from a Facebook profile and creates an infographic of a person and explains their life. An infographic is a visual illustration of information or data that is projected to display multifaceted information quickly and clearly. Social Me doesn't take the information posted on Facebook at face value, rather it goes in depth and infers the meaning behind statuses, comments, likes and linguistics used by an individual and interprets it in a statistical sense. For example, in the image below you will see a bar chart created by Social Me, which analyzes my personality qualities, based off my status posts.

Social Me allows for one to realize and acknowledge how they are viewed from a different perspective on who they are and their personality. Representation in the social media world is important and if simple things like a Facebook status can be viewed negatively, someone will portray you as such. (That someone can be an employer) In the Social Media Bible, Lon Safko describes the importance of closely analyzing communication strategies in social media and how a person or company is being portrayed within in different demographic groups. Safko analyzes these communication strategies by answering the following questions in relation to different demographic situations:

o   What is the description for the demographic group?

o   Who is your persona?

o   What is your style?

o   What is your message?

o   What is your frequency?

o   What is your call to action (conversation)?

These questions are valuable to analyzing a company or an individual in the professional world. Yes, Social Me might just be an analyzing machine but in the end, these questions can also be answered in an individual basis with the analytical and statistical data provided. Social Me is quite interesting, easy to use and mostly accurate for most people.  If you want to try out Social Me, please visit http://www.zeebly.com/social_me

And sign in with your Facebook username and password.

After trying Social Me

1)    Do you think it’s an accurate test and can you agree with the analytical results?

2)    What is one thing that caught your attention about Social Me?

References: 

, Lon, and David K. Brake. The social media bible: tactics, tools, and strategies for business success. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print.

Productivity Applications - Wunderlist

With new apps being put on the market by the hour, it’s difficult to know which will actually help you at the end of the day. Productivity apps are among the most popularly downloaded applications today. After all, everyone needs a little reminder every once in a while, no? As an iPhone user, I knew I’d have a vast amount of apps to chose from when researching ones in the productivity realm. Once I ventured through the boundless App Store, searched through the depths of Google, and read the many copious reviews/rankings, I found my app of choice – Wunderlist.

I downloaded it and within two minutes I was signed up and ready to begin my new relationship with this application. Would it be worth it? I was never one to believe in productivity apps despite my consistent forgetfulness and lack of attention to details...so naturally I was unsure of how long my commitment to this would last. But for the purpose of my thought leader project, I pressed on.

To the left were pre-made tabs labeled, “Inbox”, “Private”, “Work”, “Shopping”, “Movies to Watch”, and “Wishlist”. I also had the option to add or delete the tabs. I began by entering in my homework for one of my classes, setting a reminder, adding a few notes, and finishing within ten seconds. Not too shabby, Wunderlist…not too shabby.

I thought that was all that the app had to offer, but I was wrong. I checked my email and was asked to click a link to activate my account, which led me to the page below. Not only could I enter in reminders, tasks, lists, etc. into the app, but I could also share it via the Web, with my friends, and with my associates. So not only was this app going to help me remember things I would usually forget, but it would also send it to my other devices and be stored online. Helloooo...this is cloud technology at it’s best!

Coming from a harsh critic, I was surprised to find that Wunderlist was both impressive and innovative. Its most impressive feature was the cloud technological features, but I will have to keep readers posted on whether or not it helps grade-wise too (hint hint Dr. Kwok)!