What is “Educaching”? Think of it as geocaching, with a educational twist. You hide some kind of learning objective: a math sheet, clues to a history question, information for a science experiment. Then, using GPS technology, your students locate the item and complete the task.
Educaching is written by Jason Hubbard and published by SDG Creations. Writing for the GPS-novice, he gives a comprehensive introduction to GPS technology and how it can apply to the classroom. The rest of the text contains 20 lesson plans, from beginner to advanced, for grades 4-8. The lessons cover math, science, language arts, and social studies topics.
When the Homeschool Crew was first given the option to try this, I had a GPS device available to me. However, soon after I received the product, I was not able to obtain the device, so I’ve had to review these lessons without actually doing them. The lessons are written for classroom teachers, and most of the activities require groups of 3-4 students. For a homeschool situation, many of the lessons could be modified for family groups. Homeschoolers are often stereotyped as not knowing technology. This would be an excellent way to counter that argument and have fun with a lesson. One caveat: the preparation time for each lesson is anywhere from 30-45 minutes at least, in addition to approximately an hour to complete the hunt with your children.
I am going to suggest these lessons to our co-op, especially since many of the dads are hunters, so many would already have hand-held GPS devices. As a mom with primarily younger children, I won’t be able to use most of the lessons for another couple of years. My oldest would love these lessons, so hopefully we can get a group together soon.
For $32.00 (plus S & H) you receive the 116 page manual along with a CD with reproducible forms for each lesson. A learning set that includes a GPS unit is also available from SDG Creations.
