Rancho Cucamonga students get to see their classmates preparing to watch today's shuttle launch
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Students at John L. Golden Elementary School were in awe Wednesday when they found out how long it takes to become an astronaut - 10 or more years.
When they found out how far a space ship travels on a gallon of fuel - 42 feet - they let out gasps.
But their jaws dropped when they saw their first-grade classmates Ava and Jakob Armbruster - along with their stuffed animals Noodles and Sam - waving to them from Florida on a video-conference call.
When they found out how far a space ship travels on a gallon of fuel - 42 feet - they let out gasps.
But their jaws dropped when they saw their first-grade classmates Ava and Jakob Armbruster - along with their stuffed animals Noodles and Sam - waving to them from Florida on a video-conference call.
"It's surprising," first-grader Phoebe Kim said. "I can't believe they flew all the way over there."
For an hour, about 100 students chatted and asked questions to Damon Talley, a Digital Learning Network coordinator at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, using Skype, a computer-to-computer video conferencing service.
The students were granted the opportunity thanks to the adventures of Noodles and Sam.
Ava and Jakob have been loaning the stuffed animals for free to friends and family members as well as others who were willing to take a picture of the pink pig and grey and brown dog while on vacation or on a business trip. The travelers are also asked to compile some notes of where they went.
The photos, notes as well as additional facts are by the siblings at NoodlesAndSam.com. Noodles and Sam were then sent back to Ava and Jakob.
Ava and Jakob and their parents were invited by NASA officials to tour their center and watch today's launch of shuttle Discovery at 1:50 p.m. Pacific time.
With their parent's help, Ava and Jakob wrote to NASA officials and asked if Noodles and Sam could visit the launch site, take photos there and report back with any interesting information about the agency.
"It's a neat educational tool that helps kids realize that there are other places out there," said Tanisha Styles, Ava's first-grade teacher at the elementary school.
First-grader Gauge Demond said he was wowed when he saw his classmates, the NASA coordinator and Noodles and Sam on the big screen.
"I think it's a good thing," Gauge said. "I like to see where (Noodles and Sam) have been, and I like the way it helps kids learn."
For an hour, about 100 students chatted and asked questions to Damon Talley, a Digital Learning Network coordinator at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, using Skype, a computer-to-computer video conferencing service.
The students were granted the opportunity thanks to the adventures of Noodles and Sam.
Ava and Jakob have been loaning the stuffed animals for free to friends and family members as well as others who were willing to take a picture of the pink pig and grey and brown dog while on vacation or on a business trip. The travelers are also asked to compile some notes of where they went.
The photos, notes as well as additional facts are by the siblings at NoodlesAndSam.com. Noodles and Sam were then sent back to Ava and Jakob.
Ava and Jakob and their parents were invited by NASA officials to tour their center and watch today's launch of shuttle Discovery at 1:50 p.m. Pacific time.
With their parent's help, Ava and Jakob wrote to NASA officials and asked if Noodles and Sam could visit the launch site, take photos there and report back with any interesting information about the agency.
"It's a neat educational tool that helps kids realize that there are other places out there," said Tanisha Styles, Ava's first-grade teacher at the elementary school.
First-grader Gauge Demond said he was wowed when he saw his classmates, the NASA coordinator and Noodles and Sam on the big screen.
"I think it's a good thing," Gauge said. "I like to see where (Noodles and Sam) have been, and I like the way it helps kids learn."
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