Ever heard of it? What about geocaching? Ever heard of that? Well, if you answered no to either of those questions you need to start googling! No, wait! Not really – just keep reading. : )
To understand what Educaching is, it helps to know what geocaching is. So here’s a little lesson for you, courtesy of the wiki:
Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called “geocaches” or “caches”) anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container (usually a tupperware or ammo box) containing a logbook. Larger containers can also contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little value. Geocaching is most often described as a “game of high-tech hide and seek”, sharing many aspects with orienteering, treasure-hunting, and waymarking.
Educaching is “a GPS-based curriculum for teachers”. Using the basic concepts of geocaching, the curriculum teaches math, science, language arts, social studies, technology and physical education in a fun way. Kids also learn the importance of following directions and working together on these ‘outings’. I highly recommend visiting the website to get a clear understanding of educaching. The folks at SDG, Ltd. do a much better job than I at explaining it. Plus you’ll find several free samples there as well.
Educaching comes as a teacher’s manual in a 3-ring binder with 20 lessons. A CD contains customizable templates and there are many reproducible forms.
One of the especially useful features of the manual is the information on GPS devices. If you have little to no experience with the instruments, you will definitely appreciate this section. GPS devices can be expensive and seem complicated to operate. Calm yourself! SDG, Ltd. does a good job here showing how you can get one for a reasonable price or even no cost. The technology, lingo and gear are fully explained right off the bat at the beginning of the manual in Section 1. This is a section I referred to often.
The lessons are for children in grades 4th – 8th but of course you know best what your child is capable of. My youngers did not get much out of educaching while the olders, ages 8 and 10, loved it. The lessons progress in difficulty starting at beginner level and ending with advanced.
I really like geocaching in general. It’s a great way to get everyone out of the house, explore your very own neighborhood and learn all at the same time. Educaching makes the job easier by taking all the guess work out of it and arming you with information right at your fingertips.
Thirty-two dollars is not a bad price for this investment. I believe the manual is so complete and filled with such useful information – it’s nice not having to go all over the internet to figure out how to use the equipment and the detailed lesson plans are easy to follow.
If you’re looking for some great family fun, a new way to shake things up in school or a reason to get everyone off the couch then Educaching may just be what you’ve been looking for.
Sara O’