Geocaching.. Treasure hunting or

educational technology?

Petra Fisser29 June 2011, MAET/MSU

Geocaching?

• Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices

A GPS device

• A computer that receives signalsbroadcast from GPS satellites

• It can determine your approximatelocation (within around 6 - 30 feet)on the planet -> coordinates(includes altitude and the exact time)

• You can use the device to navigate from your current location to another location

Coordinates

• Coordinates are given in latitude and longitude

N 42° 43.623W 084° 28.734

N 52° 10.960 E 006° 46.468

Geocaching

• Treasure hunting..

Some examples here on campus

Planetarium

Children’s garden

Educational technology?

• Educaching! http://www.educaching.com/“Educaching is ideal for teachers that are looking to explore with geospatial technology in the lesson plan. The Educaching manual provides easy to follow teacher instructionsand innovative math, and science lessons that align with the national standards, and are ready for use in the outdoor classroom. ”

Educaching in practice

• http://educacher.blogspot.com/• “The concept is simple: I arm groups of students with a

handheld GPS and take them outdoors where I have pre-arranged clues in hidden containers. Each group begins searching for an assigned container which holds a math problem, for example. If the problem is solved correctly by the team, the answer tells them which numbered container to find next and they’re off running to the next location using their GPS device. If they answer incorrectly, they clamor to correct their work in order to find the right solution.”

Educaching in practice

• http://rock.geosociety.org/earthcache/intro.htm• “EarthCaches are in effect a type of virtual cache.

They have no physical container or log book. However, EarthCaches are different from other virtual caches in so much as they teach the visitor something about the site. An EarthCache is not just a scenic view or a locality. They present some lesson on how that place formed, about why that place is important scientifically or what that site can tell us about our planet.”

You & Geo- or Educaching?

• Opportunities in your classroom?• Want to try it?