Target 4 – Flexible Learning Environments. FWSU staff and students will collaborate, innovate, create and conceptualize ideas and learning with local, regional, state and global partners to make a difference in their community, state and world
Action Steps (1) – Plan and manage instruction around problems relevant to students and their community and develop solutions for authentic audiences.
Indicators of success – Collaborative student projects/partnerships become part of the fabric of the broader community.
As part of the Friends of Fletcher Elementary (FOFE) after school program, a group of students participated in the first FES geo-adventures group. To start, the students learned how to use a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to find objects. Next, they collaborated to learn how to use the devices to mark waypoints. After mastering both these skills, they continues collaborating to create a geocache to be hidden at a local historical site, the Binghamville Community Church.
Geocaching is a real-world treasure hunt that is happening all around you. There are 2,597,291 active geocaches and over 6 million geocachers worldwide. In fact, we currently there are a couple of geocaches already near the Fletcher community. You can learn more about geocaching at the Geoaching Web Site. The group elected to create another geoacache in the Fletcher community to be located at the church.
After surveying the area, the team found a perfect spot to hide a small geocache container. Next they work to design the geocache. It has been submitted to the geoacaching website to be published for geocachers worldwide to find. You can find more about the geoache at Falcon’s First, here at this link.
Now, the plan is to extend the activity. Third grade students are now planning to create an interactive map that geotags historical sites throughout the Fletcher Community and place more geocaches within the Fletcher community. By creating a real world interactive map of historical sites in their community, students will develop a deeper understanding about these important sites.
By using GPS technology to publish a geotour of local historical sites which include geocaches, students will encourage the public to explore unique historical destinations in the Fletcher community.
The FWSU Story 
It’s so important to have a “sense of place”…and technology plays an important role in place-based education. FES makes place-based learning visible!
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