Geography educators say GPS has not made the subject obsolete: students still need map-reading skills and mental maps to ask informed questions, interpret spatial information and connect local places with wider economic, political and environmental systems.
Michael Mewborne of the South Carolina Geographic Alliance said GPS makes map-reading and understanding map symbols especially important; students also need to connect digital maps with the real world. He said map skills help students interpret geospatial news, such as county-by-county election results. Thomas Herman of the National Council for Geographic Education said global interconnection demands sophisticated problem-solving in the economy, environment and political diplomacy.
The educators argue that teaching should go beyond memorizing place names and capitals. Mewborne recommends inquiry-based lessons that explore what places are known for—for example, which state produces the most pecans—and use students' neighborhoods and nearby parks to build spatial thinking and connect learning to the physical world. Herman described geography as a bridge to subjects such as civics.
