Handheld GPS & Young Kids

[Dugan]

I received the following question from a friend who knows I use a GPS. The research I did before buying mine isn't applicable for their needs. Any thoughts?

I'm looking on info for handheld GPS systems and I believe you have mentioned using them, so I was wondering if you could give me any advice about specific units.
I work for an environmental education center and my boss would like to incorporate the use of GPS into our summer programs (for elementary-school aged kids), so she wants me to research the various models to see what's out there. I've never used GPS, and I thought you might be able to provide some insight.
More specifically we're looking for something that:
~is kid-friendly
~has basic features- nothing too fancy
~is inexpensive (this is less of a priority because we plan on asking companies to donate the units to us, but if we do have to buy them, then price becomes important!)
I thought I had found the perfect one, but it doesn't appear that it's being manufactured anymore.
Any suggestions?

 

[Gwynna]

Contact Magellan and see what they recommend as the next version of that one. I'd also contact Garmin to see if they want to tout their competitor model.

 

[sardog1]

I've used the Garmin eTrex many times with fifth graders and up. Fourth graders seemed a little young when I tried it. Transferring data is pretty easy with this particular device, and learning its functions doesn't take all that much time. Personally, I'd stick with Garmin because you'll probably find more useful examples of compatible free data software and related GIS software. Look at the ESRI website at their GIS for Schools Main Page for starting points on GPS with kids.

It should be used as a learning tool and treated that way by the teacher from the get-go. Otherwide, gadget worship gets in the way of their learning anything useful with the device. It can be enormously useful but as a tool, not an object of veneration.

p.s. You do not want that Magellan Explorist 100 if you do find it. It never had any data transfer capability. Later models in the Explorist line do.

 

[Papa Bear]

Check out geocaching.. Geocaching is basically treasure hunting using a GPS. There are thousands of families and kids involved and although the big people can get obsessive (think peak bagging) the kids have a great time.

I took my grandson once and he had the greatest time wandering through a town park in Natick following the arrow on my GPS till we finally found the treasure in a hollow log.

The companion site (Groundspeak .com) has lots of discussion groups with every GPS topic you can imagine.

Try these:
http://www.geocaching.com/
http://forums.groundspeak.com/gc/

 

[RoySwkr]

p.s. You do not want that Magellan Explorist 100 if you do find it. It never had any data transfer capability.

Why is a data transfer capability necessary for teaching young kids? Let them type in the coordinates themselves which gets them more involved in the process. Or do they need it to make maps?

 

[Stash]

My daughter has done well with the eTrex for geocaching. Started when she 10 and had absolutely no problems getting the hang of it.

 

[sardog1]

Data transfer allows them to participate in collecting useful information. They can emulate what people are doing in real-world environmental science, etc. Otherwise, it's just a gadget that doesn't teach much.

Even geocaching often does little to teach navigation. It's fun for kids as a game, but it doesn't engage kids in the environment very much, unless environmentally-connected lessons are part of the objectives. The OP request came in the context of environmental learning.

Yeah, I'm a curmudgeon on this point.

 

[Papa Bear]

Data transfer allows them to participate in collecting useful information. They can emulate what people are doing in real-world environmental science, etc. Otherwise, it's just a gadget that doesn't teach much.

Even geocaching often does little to teach navigation. It's fun for kids as a game, but it doesn't engage kids in the environment very much, unless environmentally-connected lessons are part of the objectives. The OP request came in the context of environmental learning.

Yeah, I'm a curmudgeon on this point.

Actually I think you sell Geocaching short. They have a great deal of environmental, educational and earth friendly initiatives. Check out a few of these:

Cache in Trash out
GPS in education
Earth Caches

Like any other past time, the more you put into it (including what the OP was looking for), the more you get out, especially when there's a large participant base and good communications.

You might as well ask: what are the environmental and educational issues associated with peak bagging. Well this forum and this group amplifies and fosters plenty of those issues (and also accommodates those uninterested in same).

It's all about finding and talking to like minded people.

 

[sardog1]

I think the qualifiers that I included indicated where I think that GPS can be useful in environmental education. It's when it's reduced to the "follow the screen to the trinket cache'" mode that I find it lacking as an educational experience. The Earth Cache stuff and the like is indeed laudable and it's growing in New England.

 

[Dugan]

I don't know how they intend for these to be used but will attempt to clarify.

 

[brianW]

Any time you bring a child into the woods you have the ability to educate that child about the environment and hopefully when they are older will still care about it.

 

[Stash]

Any time you bring a child into the woods you have the ability to educate that child about the environment and hopefully when they are older will still care about it.

Agree. Chaching is the initial tool and gives the opportunity for long discussions of nature and LNT while searching.

 

[Dugan]

They're looking for them to teach orienteering and do some geocaching. The current front runner is the Garmin e-trex.

 

[DougPaul]

They're looking for them to teach orienteering and do some geocaching. The current front runner is the Garmin e-trex.

The basic eTrex has the advantages of being relatively inexpensive and bright yellow.

In general, I prefer mapping GPSes (the basic eTrex is non-mapping), but the map may not mean much to young kids.

Doug

 

[sardog1]

They're looking for them to teach orienteering and do some geocaching. The current front runner is the Garmin e-trex.

Boy, do I hate to see the first use. And I don't mind being quoted on that. If anyone wants some help on how to get kids started with orienteering with map and compass, send me a PM.

 

[RoySwkr]

In general, I prefer mapping GPSes (the basic eTrex is non-mapping), but the map may not mean much to young kids.

My thought is that a map screen on the GPS is almost essential if you want to teach good route planning which is important in orienteering. Many beginning GPS users like beginning compass users try to walk in straight lines, but while a zigzag course may be tough to precisely navigate with a compass with the GPS it's easy to figure a new course to the destination anytime.

However once you talk about downloading track logs and making maps you're talking about needing computer workstations which is a lot more expense. Even uploading coordinates rather than typing them in means either more computers or more prep for the teacher.

 

[DougPaul]

My thought is that a map screen on the GPS is almost essential if you want to teach good route planning which is important in orienteering. Many beginning GPS users like beginning compass users try to walk in straight lines, but while a zigzag course may be tough to precisely navigate with a compass with the GPS it's easy to figure a new course to the destination anytime.

My thought was that the GPS with maps might be too complicated, but it was just a speculation.

Certainly the GPSes should be taught in conjunction with paper maps. (And including a compass might also be worthwhile too.) Navigation is pretty much the same with or without the GPS--the difference is in the execution.

However once you talk about downloading track logs and making maps you're talking about needing computer workstations which is a lot more expense. Even uploading coordinates rather than typing them in means either more computers or more prep for the teacher.

If you have several or more waypoints to download to a bunch of GPSes, it is probably faster and certainly less error-prone to use a computer than doing it by hand. Certainly the kids should be taught how to insert waypoints manually, but I'll bet that it could lead to some wild-goose chases (ie bad waypoints). But then again, it would teach the consequences of bad waypoints...

Doug

 

[sardog1]

My thought is that a map screen on the GPS is almost essential if you want to teach good route planning which is important in orienteering. Many beginning GPS users like beginning compass users try to walk in straight lines, but while a zigzag course may be tough to precisely navigate with a compass with the GPS it's easy to figure a new course to the destination anytime.

However once you talk about downloading track logs and making maps you're talking about needing computer workstations which is a lot more expense. Even uploading coordinates rather than typing them in means either more computers or more prep for the teacher.

I beg to differ. Lots of environmentally-focused learning is happening all over the country in various grades that involves nothing more that a single computer, handheld GPS receivers, a cable to connect them, free software, and plagiarizing from the massive lists of successful learning lessons and entire curricula that are freely available. The kids don't each need a computer, they need a teacher who can take advantage of what's been going on for several years now. And as for uploading the data, that's about 60 seconds per receiver.