California DEN

You asked for it… so by popular demand we will host a section about your Language Arts Program Houghton Mifflin.  I have had the privilege of seeing all the creative and exciting ways you have enhanced your programs.  Now is your chance to share with each other.

How are you integrating unitedstreaming into your current reading program?  What clips are particularly good? Are you creating play lists that can be shared with your site and district?  What are websites that support the Houghton Mifflin Curriculum?

You asked for it… so by popular demand we will host a section about your Language Arts Program Open Court.  I have had the privilege of seeing all the creative and exciting ways you have enhanced your programs.  Now is your chance to share with each other.

How are you integrating unitedstreaming into your current reading program?  What clips are particularly good? Are you creating play lists that can be shared with your site and district?  What are websites that support the Open Court Curriculum?

As we arrived at the starting line, my heart jumped. All of the anticipation from the night before had finally come to this. As we walked through the tents, you could see that hospitality flows freely in these strangers. We were strapped with our blue wristbands, shown to the Team Discovery tent, and said we could eat some breakfast. Then we waited for the race to start.

The riders were called to the line. Every person who attended was on the sidelines eagerly anticipating the beginning of an exciting race, the San Francisco Grand Prix. A couple of laps later, Louise informed us that we had a chance to ride in the Discovery team car. My mother and I were first in line. We scurried across the course and waited for our ride. We were picked up, and as soon as we closed the doors, we jetted off to catch the riders. Averaging 60-80 mph, through the streets of San Francisco, the end came too soon, but the ride was exhilarating. The end of race came with the Discovery team in the top 20. What a well-engineered race it was.

That night we were invited to a reception to meet the whole team. Wow! These athletes are real people. They are not egotistical or stuck up. The cyclists know who and what they were and they’ve stuck to it, as for the remainder of the night, a great memory. Thank you Discovery team and all who helped, for giving me the opportunity to meet some amazing people.

Sam Emerson

Junior

Rim of the World High School

Being a teacher in Fontana USD, I continually reflect on my practices and my student’s successes and failures. As I reflect back on this past weekend, I saw teamwork, compassion, diligence, and comraderie.

At the San Francisco Grand Prix of Cycling, I saw a group of people work towards a common goal, working together with persistence until the last bike went over the finish line. I saw first hand what it feels like to be part of a winning team, Team Discovery.

Racing in the middle of, and behind the riders, I heard Lorenzo orchestrate the riders from the SAG car, advising them on tactics to better their opportunities for success. Louise made sure we were safe getting in and out of the car, she said, “I haven’t lost one yet.” Who thought we would ever be driving on the streets of San Francisco at sometimes 60 mph.

And I got to enjoy all of this with my son, Sam and husband, Ken. We work as a team in the family setting and I felt that the Discovery Team worked at extraordinary levels as a family striving towards a common goal and finding success in their endeavors!

Tammy Decroo

Teacher
Fontana U.S.D

After an incredible weekend at the San Francisco Grand Prix of Cycling, I have had some time to reflect on what I gained from this amazing experience.  I was impressed by what good role models these athletes are and how dedicated they are to what they do.  I was able to mingle Sunday evening at a special reception with the team.  It was very apparent that the way these young men are has a lot to do with their love for the sport of cycling.

It occurred to me, cycling has much to teach us, especially our young people. We need to spread this great sport to our children.  I have been talking about forming a club of educators who cycle, a TEAM DEN, if you will. Of course we would not race in the professional sense.  Discovery already has a great race team, the best in the world, as witnessed in the Tour de France.  It would be a team of cyclists who ride for the love of it…for self-discovery. 

TEAM DEN would consist of riders who stay and finish.  We would engage and encourage young people to cycle so they can learn the great lessons of this sport. We would form a team of finishers and we would be about staying: staying in school, staying out of trouble, staying fit, staying with honor.

After spending an evening with some of the best of the best in the great sport of cycling, I believe that I will get the help we need to bring this dream to a reality.  These are athletes who have the right stuff.  They are the genuine article. 

I had a very positive conversation with Bob Roll, the voice of the Tour de France in my opinion, about this and he was very encouraging.  That’s one thing I took away from Sunday evening, these people have not forgotten their roots, what brought them into cycling and core of why they still are part of it. 

If anyone out there would like to join us here in Fontana, please let us know or maybe you are thinking of forming your own club.  I know I have received very positive feedback from our superintendent and cabinet at my district, Fontana Unified School District. How does your colleagues and districts view such an endeavor? For you cycling enthusiasts out there, what do you think are the life lessons that cycling has to offer our students?

Ken Decroo, Fontana Unified School District

          What a day it has been… but tonight was my favorite part!  All too often, when we see sports figures we categorize them in a class their own.  Far from “normal.”  They take on a “super star” status.  I see this in kids, as well as adults. Tonight the riders of Discovery’s Pro Cycling Team shone in a different light.  We were able to see them in the same fluorescent incandescent light bulbs that shine in our classrooms. 

       Our evening capped with a reception at the Waterfront Restaurant in San Francisco.  Only about 30 people gathered in our private room and as the waiter staff tried to stuff of us full of hours d’oeuvres that included crab cakes, shrimp cocktail, and steak skewers, we were able to sit back and watch the riders true colors shine.

George Hincapie sat and chatted away with his father (who looked proud as ever) and his cycling partner Fumiyuki Beppu.  M ichael Creed,  still a newlywed, sat gazing sweetly into his wives eyes as they chatted with Antonio Cruz (a CA local, residing in Long Beach). And as Jason McCartney   mingled among the crowd he had his arm around his pregnant wife and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Ryder Hesjedal , Volodymyr Bileka , and Pavel Padrnos sat casually at a table relaxing and talking with various guests. Could these be the same guys that just endured a grueling 108 mile race and were bombarded the cameras of screaming fans just a few hours ago?

They were humble and open as they each shared stories of the days events and from the Tour de France.  They took the time to explain strategies that sometimes had gone astray, plans for the future, and they made fun of their sports manager, Johan, as they sarcastically thanked him for all the training sets on hills that were nearly at a 89 degree incline. Bileka was candid when asked were fans cheering your name, he responded “Yes, but they were also shouting ‘Faster, Faster’!”

As I sat back and took the time to reflect, I began comparing cycling to the classroom.  Strategy came up in several discussions throughout the night and how sometimes no matter how much planning goes into a ride, somethings just don’t turn out as well as others. I am sure that many of you can agree.  I find that many teachers also have “super star” status among their students.  It is important that we remember also allow our students to see the “real” us and to share openly about victories, defeats, and the importance of working as a team.

   I think it would be safe to say that Ken Decroo of Fontana and Skip Johnson of San Bruno, along with their families, experienced the ride of their life today at San Francisco’s Grand Prix Pro Cycling Event. 

First and foremost, we must thank the incredible Pro Cycling Team Staff.  From the time we entered the tent Louise and P.J. bent over backwards to ensure that we felt part of the Pro Cycling Family by answering our endless questions, directing us around, introducing us to riders, making sure

we were comfortable and of course one of the biggest highlights of the day, a ride in Discovery Channel’s Team Car with Assistant Sports Manager, Laurenzo.

Have you ever ridden around the Streets of San Francisco at 60 mph without stopping at any corner?  Our Discovery Educators can add that to their list after a 15 minute loop around the track following the riders up, down, and all around the streets of SanFrancisco. Laurenzo’s handling of the car was impressive as he chatted with the riders via headsets that were in their helmets.  He informed them of time differences between team members, encouraged them to “keep it rolling” and talked strategy.

            Back at the tent, we were able to watch the race from television screens or get a glimpse (basically a blur) as they raced by our area several times. There were several raffles throughout the day and each of our educators were able to walk away with a special memento (A special thanks to Ken and his wife for my special souvenir from China Town!)

  My favorite part of the day was sitting with Mike Creed’s Aunt and Grandma as they shared stories from his childhood through his pro cycling events.  I loved hearing how Michael received his first bike when he was only 10 years old.  According to Grandma, this single event forever altered his life.  She explained that it gave him focus and motivation and 2 years later to the disbelief of everyone he won his first national competition.  The rest is history! (Michael led the racing pack for most of the day)

            This story left me pondering for the rest of the day… what opportunities are our students being provided at home or in the class that will completely alter how they proceed in life?  What student in your room could be a future member of Discovery’s Pro Cycling team or the future Van Gogh?  With budgets being stripped from schools every year, how do we as educators ensure that students are still being exposed to different types of  physical fitness, art, music, etc. programs?

So let’s hear it… how are you doing it?  Do you have any “Michael” like stories in your class?  Do you know of  other athletes stories like this one? What ideas do you have for our Discovery Educator Network that might help out with these issues?

(<— Sam, our DEN student ambassador, having a little fun… but perhaps a reminder of the best lesson we can pass on to our students!)

I am the principal of El Crystal Elementary School in the San Bruno Park School District, in San Bruno, California. I attended the San Francisco Grand Prix yesterday with my wife Anne as guests of the Discovery Educator Network and Discovery Channel. 

My wife and I had no idea what to expect from this event as our only experience had been the remote detachment of watching the domination of Lance on television in the Tour de France. The morning started with a casual continental breakfast at Discovery Hospitality located on the Embarcadero next to the San Francsico Bay with a great view of the Oakland Bay Bridge. We then walked around the vendor area. Not being a cyclist, nor svelte enough to fit in those skinny pants and shirts, I deferred any major purchases.

    The race began at 10:00AM under usual foggy San Francisco skies. The 170+    riders made four quick laps in the vicinity of the Embarcadero before heading out to the longer course with   challenging climbs on Fillmore and Taylor Streets.

The Hospitality site was stocked with great food and beverage. More importantly, there were plenty of interesting guests including Ken Decroo, a principal in the Fontana Unified School District,  and his family, wife Tammy and son Sam. Conversations were of course focused upon aspects of competitive cycling, racing strategy, and the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. Anne and I were the glasses half full. Every conversation allowed us to learn more and more about this exciting sport.

Throughout the race Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team members riders were seen heading the pack or close to the front. That presence created energy and interest throughout the Discovery Channel compound.

When the pack of riders made their final short run by our site and headed off to longer runs we settled into another cup of coffee knowing we would not see them for another 20 to 25 minutes.

Unexpectedly, Jannita Demian, our Discovery Educator Network host informed us we were invited to ride in the team car for a lap.

Not knowing what that really meant but anticipating a closer perspective on the race, we signed on. We waited curbside on the Embarcadero while the guide hailed down the Discovery Team car. It was like changing tires at the Indy 500. Two riders were out, we two were in and the Team Subaru was going 60 miles an hour in 3 seconds. We had lost pace with the pack and the driver, Laurenzo Lapage,  wasted no time. From Embarcadero the race wound through North Beach towards the climb up Fillmore. The racers then backtracked to North Beach for the intense challenge of the Taylor Street Hill. Laurenzo followed the pack up Taylor at about 3 miles per hour-a respite from an otherwise 30 to 80 mile per hour chase. I believe there are actually two races going on here. The first is between the cyclists and the second is between the team car drivers and the escorting motorcyclists.

We encountered a bicycle crash between two team members I believe somewhere on Bay Street. It was hard to tell, as the course was a blur of big crowds, loud cheering, and flying vehicles. The accident slowed our team car considerably, but Laurenzo was not to be denied. We were back with pack almost instantly. If Laurenzo ever leaves the Discovery Pro Cycling Team as the team car driver, I am certain he is prequalified for the IRL or NASCAR. Actually, he is quite an incredible driver. He handled the car expertly, carefully avoided other cars and motorcycles, and blew his horn repeatedly when we overtook slower cycylists along the route. This sounding is an apparent universal signal to other drivers that a bicyclist is near. This expert driving is done while conferring and strategizing by radio with the team and apparent spotters throughout the course.

After bailing out of the car back at the Embarcadero, we walked or should say floated back to Hospitality. We were ‘pumped’. It took me about two hours to come down from that incredible ride. Thank you Discovery Channel for that memorable experience.

Back at Hospitality after others came back from their ride, we must have sounded like chatty children tasting ice cream for the first time.

The end of the race was an exciting dash between German, Fabian Wegmann, and two American riders, John Lieswyn and Jason McCartney who rides for Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. The riders finished 1-2-3 in the same name order. They all had a time of 4 hours 27 minutes. They went 108 miles. 

What does this all mean for education and application in the classroom. The first thing that comes to mind are the concepts of perserverance, dedication, hard-work, team building, knowledge, style, practice, humility,  giving of best effort, honor, and sacrifice that it takes to become a professional cyclist.

I’ll post more on those thoughts later.

Thank you Discovery Channel, Discovery Educator Network, Jannita Demian, Laurenzo Lapage, and everyone working Hospitality for allowing Anne and I to have a great Sunday at the Grand Prix.

-Skip Johnson

I just witnessed a race on a grand scale, in its purest form.  We spent the day as specia l guests of the Discovery Channel. I had never participated or watch a bicycle race in such comfort!  We spent the day at the Discovery Pavilion right next to the start/finish line.  We were pampered with catered food and beverages.  We watched the riders as they passed by us and on the team’s close curcuit television screen. This was a 108 mile race through the streets of San Francisco.  There were thousands of people lining the streets to watch riders from all over the world race. 

One of the high points of the day was riding in the Team Discovery SAG car.  We raced through the streets following the riders. We sometimes reached speeds of 80 mph as we tried to catch up to the Team Discovery riders after getting caught behind groups of riders. Thousands of spectators cheered us along with the riders.  I soon realized that there were two races actually going on… the one between the cyclists and the one between the support vehicles. The support vehicles wanted to be in a position to help their riders, so they jockied for the best position.  It was an incredible vantage to watch the race. For a lap we were part of the race. Our driver/captain, Lorenzo , drove and directed the tactics of the team at near NASCAR speeds. I soon realized that a bicycle race is more than every rider riding for themselves.  It was about working together as a team to help get the most team mates up front.  It was way more complicated than "each man for himself."  It took brains, strategy, patience and skill.

I was struck by the fact that our mission as educators is much the same as this race.  We struggle to do what is best for our students and much of what we do is behind the scenes, out of the fan fare.  I, as a principal, strive to support the teachers at my school so they can be the best, and do the best for our students. I am doing a good job when my teachers succeed and are recognized for their excellence.   

At the end of the race the riders from Team Discovery joined us at the pavilion. I was struck by how down to earth and kind they were to us and the fans.  This is truely a sport of honor…especially, when you think that for a cycling fan like me, meeting these riders is like a baseball fan meeting the starting line up of their favorite major league team. All the riders signed autographs and walked through crowds of spectators, accessible. They had a quiet dignity and poise about them that lack all pretentions. They are world class role models. This is sports in its purest form. I would like to thank Team Discovery and Discovery Channel for giving me a great gift. In a world of deminishing sports role models, cycling is an exception.   

After a hectic day of travel, my wife Tammy, son Sam and I reached our hotel here in San Francisco. Tomorrow begins a major event in cycling, the San Francisco Grand Prix of cycling.  I have attended and participated in many cycling events in North America. Tammy and I just finished the Cool Breeze Century a few weeks ago in Ventura, California. We have ridden in the Redlands Classic. But this race is the real deal.  It is in a class of its own. This race is about climbing and staying: staying on your bike, staying hydrated, staying healthy, staying focused, staying out of your seat up the hill, and staying in the race until the end, finishing.  That’s the most important thing to do on any ride…Staying to the end…Finishing.

It occurred to me how much about a hundred plus mile race like this has in common with what we are trying to instill in our students.  We, also, want them to learn about staying: staying in school, staying out of trouble, staying fit, staying focused, staying happy…

There is much about why we cycle that is similar to why we are in education.  Cycling is about self-discovery and health.  It, to me, is the perfect sport.  There is something gratifying about riding a hundred miles, under your own power, no matter where you place.  There is an intimate relationship with the landscape. There is a cadence and rhythm that you achieve that is Zen like. 

We leave tomorrow at 8:00 AM for the race. I will be asking people why they are here this weekend, watching or participating in this race.  What do they get out of cycling?  Why do they watch it?  Why do they ride?

But mainly, I plan to live this event by the moment and celebrate a world-class cycling race with some of the best cyclists in the world.  I feel so grateful to be working for Fontana Unified School District, composed of an enlightened leadership with the vision to recognize the importance of a virtual forum of educators like Discovery Educator Network (DEN) and what we are trying to accomplish this weekend. I will be in touch tomorrow. What a lot of fun!

Have you ever attended or participated in a cycling event?  Did you watch the Discovery Pro Cycling Team race the Tour de France? Do you know about the Grand Prix? We want to hear from the cycle enthusiasts out there. Please let us know what you think!