Spatial thinking must be recognized as a fundamental part of K-12 education and as an integrator of and facilitator for problem solving across the curriculum. With advances in computing technologies and the increasing availability of geospatial data, spatial thinking will play a significant role in the information- based economy of the 21st-century. Using appropriately designed support systems tailored to the K-12 context, spatial thinking can be taught formally to all students. A geographic information system (GIS) offers one example of a high- technology support system that can enable students and teachers to practice and apply spatial thinking in many areas of the curriculum (National Research Council, 2005).

The mission of SpatialSci is to provide educators with a sustained environment for the integration of geo-technologies into classroom instruction. From relevant spatial data sets to GIS-based curriculum, SpatialSci is a one stop shop for teachers committed to implementing geo-technologies into K-12 classroom instruction.

Geotechnologies are everywhere in society now, yet only approximately 5% of GIS users are educators and students (ESRI, 2005). Schools lag behind in introducing students to geotechnologies because of a lack of training, support, and access to spatial data sets appropriate for 5-12 grade audiences.

Geo-technologies are used daily in so many aspects of human activity that many predict it will one day be a required basic skill set just as word processing is today (Alibrandi, 2003). If you have ever pulled a travel map off the internet, you have used GIS. If you watched last night’s weather report, you viewed a geographic information system. GIS simply combines layers of information about a place, such as cloud cover and temperature, to better understand that place.