Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a great idea! It's a really practical skill for city-dwellers, and it's something not every kid can learn at home (some families can't afford bikes; some working parents can't afford the time to run down the sidewalk holding the back of the bike).

Plus, this is happening during PE -- it's not like it's cutting into their math lesson.

+100 here

+another 100.

Good exercise, plants the seed of an environmentally-friendly way to get around, and gets them OUTSIDE.

I'm a fancy-schmancy Ivy type and if I were king I'd add far more outdoor and experiential learning into the curriculum.

Anonymous wrote:This isn't a PE lesson. Cornerstone lessons are classroom lessons.

There are Cornerstones in every subject, including PE, music and art. This is a PE Cornerstone. Also, as I understand it, the lesson will be done at different times in different schools, so it's not like DCPS purchased enough bikes for every kid in the district. They will be moved around from school to school as needed. It will culminate with a 4 mile bike ride through the city.

I think it's great. It's a skill that many kids don't have, and even the ones who do might not know how to ride safely on the street. I've seen all of the Cornerstones that have been written so far and I think they generally vary in quality, but this is a really good one.

Anonymous wrote:I went to school in England and we all had proper bike riding lessons as part of our school day. Most of us could ride bikes, but we learned hand signals, turning left, going around a roundabout ( circle) and general traffic safety.
I want to say we were about 9 or 10.

+1 in Amsterdam.

I went to school in England and we all had proper bike riding lessons as part of our school day. Most of us could ride bikes, but we learned hand signals, turning left, going around a roundabout ( circle) and general traffic safety.
I want to say we were about 9 or 10.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To PP, I bet your kid is a gem and takes after you. Great to tell people you don't agree with to "suck it." I bet that is a good skill for you at work, and that vocabulary must have gotten you into a prestigious college and grad school.

Please continue to suck it, please. Thank you.

+1. The bike riding is a really fantastic idea. The PP's judgment is faulty. And sucks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love it! It will making bicycling even more popular. 10 years from now many of these kids will be using their bicycles to get around instead of having to ask their parents for a ride every time.

Seriously. The problem is tha tmost of these kids have completely disengaged parents to begin, one reason many of them can't ride a bike. I wonder like a PP, where are all these bikes going to be stored. I would bet money that at least half will be stolen by the first semester. I am ALL for physical fitness but this just isn't very thought out.

You think my kid can't ride a bike because I'm "disengaged"?

Perhaps you should get out of your suburban cul-de-sac once in a while.

This isn't a PE lesson. Cornerstone lessons are classroom lessons.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love it! It will making bicycling even more popular. 10 years from now many of these kids will be using their bicycles to get around instead of having to ask their parents for a ride every time.

Seriously. The problem is tha tmost of these kids have completely disengaged parents to begin, one reason many of them can't ride a bike. I wonder like a PP, where are all these bikes going to be stored. I would bet money that at least half will be stolen by the first semester. I am ALL for physical fitness but this just isn't very thought out.

I hate posters like you. The bikes are less likely to be stolen from inside a locked school than computers. Also please don't generalize. Many upper middle class white kids on my block don't ride bikes yet. I blame it mostly on the popularity of scooters. Either way, I think it's a great idea. I don't even care if they decided to focus on hula hoop or jump rope as long as they are active and doing something outside of standard work/test prep all day.

I agree! Great idea.

I think it's a good idea!

I love the idea. Kudos to the educators who came up with it.

Anonymous wrote:I love it! It will making bicycling even more popular. 10 years from now many of these kids will be using their bicycles to get around instead of having to ask their parents for a ride every time.

Seriously. The problem is tha tmost of these kids have completely disengaged parents to begin, one reason many of them can't ride a bike. I wonder like a PP, where are all these bikes going to be stored. I would bet money that at least half will be stolen by the first semester. I am ALL for physical fitness but this just isn't very thought out.

I love it! It will making bicycling even more popular. 10 years from now many of these kids will be using their bicycles to get around instead of having to ask their parents for a ride every time.

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a really great thing, actually. Did you listen to the video? 60% of 2nd graders can't ride a bike. It's a great skill, opens up some doors and increases physical activity. I'm all for it.

Wish they'd include swim lessons, too.

+1

There's an obesity epidemic and physical activity also helps with concentrating in school.

What mean-spirited posters here! Hours on hours of tracing letters and counting numbers has gotten DCPS nowhere when it comes to educational achievements. So, yes, how about bringing back some fun and adding a focus on life skills and efforts of building a sustainable city. Seeing how few 7 yo - no matter their color or the income of their often well-healed parents - can't ride on two wheels, there is definitely room for something to be learned.