Mumbo, I completely disagree with your post.
All instructors will have past a PPL test and a CPL test. In both you demonstrate you have the skill to navigate visually to the standard required to pass the tests
That's true - you know that, and I know that. But if you give the student clues which suggest (even though it might not be the case) that you are not capable of navigating accurately visually, why should he believe that he is capable of doing it?
It is like saying a maths teacher should not use a calculator. The maths teacher is their (sic) to teach mathematical techniques, not to show how good he is doing sums in his head!
If the maths teacher is teaching long division, he should be able to do long division using the techniques he teaches. Imagine the reaction of a student if he is being taught to do long division, and his teacher shows him the techniques, but then demonstrates that those techniques are sufficiently difficult that he doesn't like using them, and prefers a calculator?
On the other hand, no one is suggesting that the teacher shouldn't use the calculator, and teach the students how to do so effectively, as a different exercise.
This gives me as a instructor early situational awareness from the outset as to what the student is doing. This means that I have had loads of time to prepare to lead the student to the right conclusion during any navigational exercise
This reminds me a little of the frustration I have when watching certain detective movies, and the detective solves the mystery using a clue which wasn't shown on the screen. Of course the GPS will give you "early situational awareness", but the aim of the exercise is for the student to be confident that he can have sufficient situation awareness using the techniques you are teaching him. By using the GPS to enhance your situational awareness above what is possible using visual techniques alone, you are demonstrating to the student that the visual techniques are not sufficient.
Please do not think I am anti-GPS, because I'm not. BEagle and Captain Jock both describe very good ways in which GPS can be used to enhance the educational experience. In both their techniques, they show the student how it is possible to fly visually, and only then do they employ the GPS as further proof that the techniques they are teaching actually worked, which is in contrast to what you seem to be describing.
FFF
--------------