C4T #1

Summary #1
In Mr. Spencer’s blog, Rebel Without a Clue, he addresses the outcome of a decision he made on using faulty equipment. The meeting with his colleagues questioned him to the highest extent as a professional, which at the end of the day made him feel terrible. Instead of not using the bad equipment he used it anyways. This small decision created a big problem for him. When it was ultimately too late Mr. Spencer realized that he should have addressed the principal about the equipment. Overall this blog was simply letting people know that we have to be conscious of all the decisions we make because that one decision, although it may seem appropriate at the time, may come back and haunt us. Educators should also make sure to look at the bigger picture, what’s best for the students, and not just them.

Comment #1
"The teaching profession isn't perfect and there will always be people to question your judgments. In my opinion, following the rules should be one of your main priorities. The only other thing you should always take into major consideration is the best interest of your students. Also, if the teaching environment doesn't seem to suit you, after trying to adjust over an extensive period of time, then maybe the best thing to do is find another place to teach if possible."

Summary #2
In this blog post,An Open Letter to @arneduncan #edpolicy, Mr. Spencer revealed a letter he wrote to Mr. Duncan, the United States Secretary of Education. In this letter he addresses that Mr. Duncan had followed him on twitter, but he thought it was all for the wrong reasons. Mr. Spencer felt he followed him simply because of the Connected Educator Month. If Mr. Duncan really wanted to connect then he should reach out to some of the fellow teachers affected by his education policies. Or he could engage into a sincere conversation with him by using twitter among other ways. Mr. Spencer then goes into detail on exactly what he felt should change in the policies of No Child Left Behind. Mr. Spencer made it clear that he wasn't in agreement with the way the secretary and president Obama went about continuing to use certain policies although they were failing. This letter was Mr. Spencer's way of reaching out to the secretary in a respectable way.

Comment #2
"Hello. I’m Demetrius Hamner, a student at the University of South Alabama. I have commented on your one of your blog post before, A Rebel Without a Clue. This week for my EDM310 assignment I had to comment on your most recent blog post. As a student I have always had to abide by many policies, even if I didn't agree with them. Addressing someone in a high up position wasn't encouraged, but if I was to do it then it always had to be in a respectable way. This letter, although very controversial, was a good example of this. No one wants to hear the truth when it comes to policies created by them. New education policies are created on a regular, but everyone seems to turn their head when it fails. This is because they aren't directly affected by it. We (teachers, students, and parents) are the ones directly affected, but have to go through so much to change it. Hopefully this letter will help Mr. Duncan see that things really do need to be changed."