I had a similar knife sharpening system years ago. I still have one of the ceramic sticks. I had a bit of trouble sharpening knives for years. I could get them sharp enough for use, but not razor sharp. Then, a freind from texas told me he could get my knives super sharp, and that my Arkansas stone was all I needed. I gave him the wet-stone and my knives. Not only did he sharpen them to perection, but he also cleaned the stone, which had become cloged due to metal particle deposition. I also learned a thing or two about sharpening. And this info works whether you are using a stone, or a cermaic stick.
First, know that a dull blade is going to require patience and time. Also understand that it is much easier to work with multiple stones, and finish with the ceramic stick, or a fine arkansas stone.
For a dull knife edge:
1. Start with a coarse stone. This will remove metal faster and shorten the sharpening time. Keep the stone wet with either honing oil, or water. Starting at the tip end of the blade, move the knife in an elliptical pattern on the sharpening material. Continue this motion as you move toward the handle. Sharpen at a 20 degree angle. Apply medium pressure. Turn the blade over and do the same to the other side. Repeat this process on both sides from between three to ten time, depending on how dull and hard the blade is. The blade will feel fairly sharp, but with a rough edge that will grab at delicate foods.
2. Repeat the above process using a medium grit stone. Test the edge by slicing through a raw carrot, and then a tomato. The knife should do reasonably well, but not great.
3. Repeat using a fine grit arkansas stone. The edge should bcome very smooth and sharp. Again test on your carrot and tomato. The knife should slice effortlessly through both.
4. Run the knife blade accross your ceramic stick, or fine grit Arkansas stone for a few strokes, as if you were trying to cut into the sharpening material, with light pressure, and at a 45 degree angle. This sill give the edge more staying power; that is, it will hold its edge longer.
5. Using a good honing steel, run the blade lightly accross the steel, again with the cutting edge forward to the direction of the stroke. Use this method to produce the best results. Stroke with light pressure 5 times on one side, then five on the other (30 degree angle here). Now stroke 4 times on both sides. Now repeat for three strokes per side, then two, and then one final stroke per side. This last step will remove any burr left by the sharpening and align the edge to razor sharpness.
My knives are now always sharp, and keep their edges for months, requiring touch-ups about twice a year. And once they're sharp, they take much less effort to sharpen. I hone them before each use. I maintain all of my knives in this fasion, including the small paring knives, the hollow ground knives, the straight ground chef's knife, and everything in between.
And this technique works as well on my cheap knives as on my high quality ones.
Sharpening isn't a mystery. Just think about what a knife edge is, what a sharpening tool does, and then remember that too thin an edge is fragile, and easily damaged (hence the 45 degree angle at the end). But you only want that strong angle at the very edge of the cutting blade.
You will find that after time, all sharpening tools will clog with metalic particles. To clean, use an old, but clean tooth brush and baking soda. Make a past of baking soda and water, dip in the toothbrush, and scour the sharpening too. This works equally well on oild-stones, wet-stones, and ceramic sharpening sticks or rods.
Hope this helps.
Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
If you don't want to take a chance on ruining your knives ask a chef or a butcher..I've found them happy to help. 
