Passive students staring blankly at computer screens has been a worrisome image for many educators. Often they fear that technology can remove students from contact with the real world. Two technologies that have been in general use for many years, but are more recently appearing in the educational sector, provide the opportunity to reap the benefits of technology while engaging young adolescents in an interactive environment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have been used by industry, governmental agencies, and the military for many years. The decreasing cost of technology and the concurrent increasing availability of powerful computers in schools has made GIS technology a viable tool for many teachers. In addition, the lower cost and recent policy to permit unscrambled satellite signals have made GPS receivers very useful tools for the general population. The terms GIS and GPS are frequently confused by the general public. They are not the same, although both can be used effectively together. In this article, the authors discuss the difference between GIS and GPS and the use of these technologies as instructional tools in middle and high schools.