Due to the importance of geospatial technologies (GST) in science, industry and everyday life, they are already included in many K-12 school curricula and the national educational standards for geography in Germany. Studies show, however, that the implementation in school practice as well as the full exploration of GST’s educational potential still lags behind. Based on these conditions, one GST programme combines the three pillars research, development of learning environments, and teacher training. All three areas are important not only to further explore the conditions of GST use and especially to evaluate whether and how GST use can contribute to the fostering of geographic competencies, but also to transmit the relevant results to classroom practice by providing teachers with the corresponding materials and training. Examples for each pillar discussed in this paper can give impulses for future (inter)national developments but also highlight some of the present challenges of GST classroom implementation.

Due to the importance and presence of remote sensing in science, industry and the public, the use of satellite imagery is now propagated for or even included in school curricula and the national educational standards for geography. Remote sensing data are characterized in addition to their high clarity and timeliness by having a great educational potential. This has been insufficiently tapped in school practice. This paper presents a modern didactical concept and examples of practical implementation. It begins with the results of an international comparative study of the use of satellite images in schools as the basis for a didactical concept for using this medium in school. Furthermore, examples of implementing this theoretical model from different school types and grade levels will be shown. For the lower secondary level, interactive learning games concerning the basic functionality of remote sensing have been developed. Moreover, for both the lower and upper secondary level as well as for non-formal education, the creation of remote sensing tools on selected topics such as global change and urbanization is in progress. Another example is the development of web based software for the analysis of satellite images in school. These examples of implementing remote sensing in education demonstrate the possibilities of a problem-and action-oriented use of remote sensing as a modern medium and tool of geography teaching. The materials foster different competencies of students and promote education for sustainable development. * Corresponding author.