diff --git a/.DS_Store b/.DS_Store
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index 0000000..fc0df50
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diff --git a/.rspec b/.rspec
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e061e30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.rspec
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+--format nested
+--color
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/week1/homework/questions.txt b/week1/homework/questions.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index bd581a6..0000000
--- a/week1/homework/questions.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-Please read: 
-Chapter 3 Classes, Objects, and Variables 
-p.86-90 Strings (Strings section in Chapter 6 Standard Types)
-
-1. What is an object?
-
-2. What is a variable?
-
-3. What is the difference between an object and a class?
-
-4. What is a String?
-
-5. What are three messages that I can send to a string object? Hint: think methods
-
-6. What are two ways of defining a String literal? Bonus: What is the difference between the two?
diff --git a/week1/homework/strings_and_rspec_spec.rb b/week1/homework/strings_and_rspec_spec.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index ea79e4c..0000000
--- a/week1/homework/strings_and_rspec_spec.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-# encoding: utf-8
-
-# Please make these examples all pass
-# You will need to change the 3 pending tests
-# You will need to write a passing test for the first example 
-# 	(Hint: If you need help refer to the in-class exercises)
-# The two tests with the pending keyword, require some ruby code to be written
-# 	(Hint: You should do the reading on Strings first)
-
-describe String do
-	context "When a string is defined" do
-		before(:all) do
-			@my_string = "Renée is a fun teacher. Ruby is a really cool programming language"
-		end
-		it "should be able to count the charaters"
-		it "should be able to split on the . charater" do
-			pending
-			result = #do something with @my_string here
-			result.should have(2).items	
-		end
-		it "should be able to give the encoding of the string" do
-			pending 'helpful hint: should eq (Encoding.find("UTF-8"))'
-		end
-	end
-end
-
diff --git a/week2/homework/questions.txt b/week2/homework/questions.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 939e42d..0000000
--- a/week2/homework/questions.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-Please Read The Chapters on: 
-Containers, Blocks, and Iterators 
-Sharing Functionality: Inheritance, Modules, and Mixins
-
-1. What is the difference between a Hash and an Array?
-
-2. When would you use an Array over a Hash and vice versa?
-
-3. What is a module? Enumerable is a built in Ruby module, what is it?
-
-4. Can you inherit more than one thing in Ruby? How could you get around this problem?
-
-5. What is the difference between a Module and a Class?
diff --git a/week2/homework/simon_says.rb b/week2/homework/simon_says.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..971a674
--- /dev/null
+++ b/week2/homework/simon_says.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+module SimonSays
+	def echo(st)
+		st
+	end
+	
+	def shout(st)
+		st.upcase
+	end
+
+	def first_word(st)
+		st.split.first
+	end
+
+	def start_of_word(st,i)
+		st[0...i]
+	end
+	
+	def repeat(st, t=2)
+		([st]*t).join(' ')
+	end
+end
diff --git a/week4/.DS_Store b/week4/.DS_Store
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index 0000000..457080e
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diff --git a/week4/exercises/.rspec b/week4/exercises/.rspec
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e061e30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/week4/exercises/.rspec
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+--format nested
+--color
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/week4/exercises/worker_spec.rb b/week4/exercises/worker_spec.rb
index dfc6f02..47deddb 100644
--- a/week4/exercises/worker_spec.rb
+++ b/week4/exercises/worker_spec.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-require "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/worker"
+#require "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/worker"
+require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', '/homework/worker')
 
 describe Worker do
 
diff --git a/week4/homework/.DS_Store b/week4/homework/.DS_Store
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index 0000000..5008ddf
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diff --git a/week4/homework/questions.txt b/week4/homework/questions.txt
index bc1ab7c..80226e3 100644
--- a/week4/homework/questions.txt
+++ b/week4/homework/questions.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,40 @@ Chapter 10 Basic Input and Output
 The Rake Gem: http://rake.rubyforge.org/
 
 1. How does Ruby read files?
+Ruby defines a single base class, IO, to handle input and output. The same
+methods we use for 'simple' i/o from irb, puts, gets, are available for all file
+objects:
+  	 while line = gets
+ 	 	puts line
+	 end
+There are I/O iterators for reading. I/O#each_byte invokes a block with next 8-bit
+byte from the IO object. String#dump can also be used
+	File.open("tesfile") do |file|
+		file.each_line {|line| puts "got #{line.dump}"}
+	end	
+
 2. How would you output "Hello World!" to a file called my_output.txt?
+
+	File.open("output.txt", "w") do |file|
+		file.puts "Hello World!"
+	end
+
 3. What is the Directory class and what is it used for?
+
+Objects of class Dir are directory streams representing directories in the 
+underlying file system. They provide a variety of ways to list directories and 
+their contents.
+
 4. What is an IO object?
+
+Ruby defines a single base class, IO, to handle input and output. An IO object is 
+a bidirectional channel between a Ruby program and some external resource. Bidirectional
+as in read/write, puts/gets.
+
+
 5. What is rake and what is it used for? What is a rake task?
+Rake is a simple ruby build program with capabilities similar to 'make.' Tasks or jobs can be written in ruby
+and executed via the ruby Rake command. Files containg ruby code can also be part of the execution. In rails, 
+rake db:migrate is used to run a database migration script that executes ruby code to build tables according 
+to the database and table specifications. To view the 'routes' that a ruby application may be configured to run, 
+the 'rake routes' command will display what the ruby program or application will respond to. 
diff --git a/week4/homework/worker.rb b/week4/homework/worker.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..051d1aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/week4/homework/worker.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+class Worker
+  def self.work (number = 1)
+    result = ''
+    number.times {result = yield if block_given?}
+    result
+  end
+  
+  #or
+  
+  ##class << self
+  ##  def work number=1
+  ##    result = ''
+  ##    number.times {result = yield if block_given?}
+  ##    result
+  ##  end  
+  ##end
+end
diff --git a/week5/Rakefile.rb b/week5/Rakefile.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..724c307
--- /dev/null
+++ b/week5/Rakefile.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+##task :default => [:hello_world] 
+##  desc "This outputs..."
+##  task :hello_world do
+##      puts "hellow World!" 
+##      test
+##  end    
+##
+##  def test 
+##    "tequila"
+##  end
+
+#task #:default => [:readnames]
+  desc "read names"
+  task :readnames do
+    File.open("names.rb") do |f|
+    File.open('outnames.rb','w') do |out|
+      f.each do |line|
+        puts line
+        #out << line
+      end
+    end
+    end
+    #Dir.mkdir("test")
+  end
+  desc "mkdir"
+  task :makedir do
+    Dir.mkdir("testdir")
+  end
+###desc "print..."
+###task :print_names do 
+###    file.open("names")  do |f|
+###      f.map{|def line( puts line}
+###        
+###      end
+###      }
+###      
+###task :create_student_dirs => [:create_class_dir] do
+###        
+###      f.map
+###      
+###      dir
+###      rake print_names
+###      
+###      create a helper
+###      
+###      file_helper("../name") do |line|
+###         puts line
+###       end
+### 
+###      file_helper("../name") do |line|
+###         Dir.mkdir line
+###       end
+###      
+###      file_helper("../name") do |line|
+###        Dir.rmdir line
+###      end
+###      
+###def file_helper(file_name)
+###  File.open(file_name) do |f|
+###    f.each do \line|
+###      yield line.chomp #chomp carriage return
+###      
+###    end
+###  end
+###end
+###end      
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/week5/names.rb b/week5/names.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b0e842
--- /dev/null
+++ b/week5/names.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+Ben
+BrianT
+BrianWard
+BryanWilliams
+Cheri
+Chris B
+ChristopherF
+ChristopherT
+Danny
+Dimitry
+Eddie
+Emily
+Gregory
+Josh
+Karen
+Kat
+Kelli
+Kris
+Mallory
+Nell
+NicholasP
+Nicole
+Nikky
+Peter
+Price
+Renée
+Ryan
+Santy
+Serene
+Sol
+Steven
+Strand
+Timothy
+Will
+Yan
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/week5/outnames.rb b/week5/outnames.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29