Spatial literacy will play an increasingly important role in today's information-based economy, and it should be incorporated into K-12 instruction, according to a recent report from the National Research Council (NRC), part of the National Academy of Sciences. The report recommends that schools use geographic information system (GIS) software, among other tools and methods, to help students practice and apply spatial thinking across all areas of the curriculum.

Currently, spatial thinking is "not systematically instructed in the K-12 curriculum, despite its fundamental importance," the report notes, calling this omission "a major blind spot in the American educational system."

The report defines spatial thinking as the ability to understand spatial relationships, the knowledge of how geographic space is represented, and the ability to reason and make key decisions about spatial concepts. These skills are essential to a wide range of tasks and fields, the report says, and yet "there are neither content standards nor valid and reliable assessments dedicated solely to spatial thinking."

Spatial literacy is not a stand-alone subject in the way that physics, biology, and economics are subjects, NRC said. Instead, it's a way of thinking that cuts across most other disciplines. To foster spatial literacy in students, the academy's report recommends that schools take an approach similar to the movement to teach writing " across the curriculum"--that is, to integrate it into instruction in all appropriate content areas.

The report urges federal agencies and education leaders to encourage the development of spatial literacy standards and curriculum materials to help educators teach students how to think spatially. It also calls on technology developers and educators to tailor GIS technologies to the needs of students, giving them easy-to-use tools to explore and practice spatial thinking both inside--and outside--the classroom.

George Dailey, K-12 education program manager for ESRI, a maker of GIS technologies, said the NAS report underscores the message his firm has been communicating to schools for the last 14 years.

"Pick any walk of life--those skills are being applied every day," Dailey said. From conservationists developing a plan for habitat preservation, to public health officials studying the spread of avian flu, "all of these [tasks] carry with them a spatial component," he said.

GIS technologies use "smart" maps that can display, query, and analyze geographic databases. A growing number of schools are using them--primarily in science and social studies classes--to support authentic, problem-based instruction, Dailey said, helping students tackle real social and environmental research projects in their communities.

Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Dallas is a leader in using GIS technology to enhance student learning. The school's GeoTech Research Lab allows students to become the researchers and creators of geographic and environmental solutions in an authentic, problem-based approach to instruction.