Models for dummies

[eluser]Unknown[/eluser]
I am trying to figure out how to use MVC technique properly, but the Models section of the CI Users Guide is next to useless, and there are no video tutorials that explain how to use models. Could someone please show us novices how to start off on the right foot and properly separate our code into the M, V, and C portions? I need to know how to build a basic model, how to connect it to the database, and what type of functions/methods should go in the model. Thanks. This is stopping me from using CodeIgniter altogether until I can wrap my head around it.