Munzee!

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Ever see a code like this or a similar one? If you have a smartphone, then I bet you've scanned one before.  Some companies use them to promote their products or give you more information.  Munzee is another outdoor game similar to geocaching but this time you use your smartphone to scan for points.  Yep, there's an app for it too! Check out the website and download the app.  Then scan the munzee on this page to score your first points and get your first MUNZEE (compliments of the support site)! Some areas of the United States have more munzees deployed than others but if you travel, it's a quick way to score some points and see some sites.  I've learned through munzeeing that most munzees are on telephone poles, or sides of buildings, but definitely not in the direct wide open.  And most that I've scanned don't have the green border around them either.  In fact some munzees are virtual, which means that there isn't a bar code to scan.  Instead you have to be within about 300 feet of a landmark to "capture" and score the points.  

This summer while at a geocaching event I ran into a man who was munzeeing.  Turns out he was ranked pretty high in points for the game.  In fact, he was within the top three in the world.  I just checked my app and now I see he's in the top 30.  Me? Um....I'm on level 6 and the top player is on level 101. About a month ago there were only 3 munzee's in my area.  A month later there are now 9.  The adventure is growing....one munzee at a time.

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Geocaching in Education

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I've recently started geocaching and I'm sure some of you are sitting there saying "what is geocaching?".  It's basically a treasure hunt, but keep in mind you aren't really finding valuable treasures, you're finding knickknacks (or swag) left by other cachers and then leaving some in the container for others to find.  What do you need to start? GPS coordinates to a cache and a way to map yourself to it - like a smartphone.  I started caching with my smartphone and the Geocache App.  Over the last few months I have increased my caching supplies to include a hydration pack (when I hike), handheld GPS, hiking shoes, headlamp for night caches, pepper spray, pens, and my own swag to leave behind.  There are a ton of caches hidden where you don't need the hiking supplies but I have decided to mix in some exercise with caching.  

So what does this have to do with education? Let's think outside the box for a bit.  Education isn't what it used to be.  Students don't just sit there and listen to lectures.  They like to multitask and geocaching allows students to use critical thinking skills.  They read maps, perhaps even calculate how far they've walked, and maybe there could be another puzzle to solve to find another cache that is hidden.  Teachers are now teaching in an era where cross-curriculum is an important part of education.  Geocaching is one of those topics that is definitely considered to be cross-curricular.  Geography - the topography of the land.  Math - change in altitude, distance traveled. English - write about your experience. Physical Education - the hike or walk.  History - create caches around your school that contain information about the topic you are studying.  The possibilities are endless!

And what if you don't teach? Education is still important to children AND adults.  This summer I did some geocaching that turned out to be not only fun, but also educational.  I spent a couple hours at Prince Gallitzin State Park in Pennsylvania and completed 8 caches that were all educational - I learned about animals.  These caches were part of Ranger Rick's Trails who has caches set up all over the county - perhaps there is a set of caches near you.

Want more information about Geocaching and Education? Check out the link on Geocaching.com! Happy Caching!

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