An infrastructure for what? What infrastructure? New technologies

It is argued here, that the infrastructure required to include new technologies into school education requires complex inter-relationships to be developed and maintained between schools’ human, organisational and physical infrastructures. Here ‘infrastructure’ refers to the underlying frameworks or systems that enable schools to function. Often the word ‘infrastructure’ is interpreted only as the physical buildings and equipment within a school. Here, the term ‘infrastructure’ is interpreted more broadly to encompass the stock of services, facilities, processes and people required to enable a school to undertake its’ work of educating students. Combining infrastructures requires a new metaphorical architecture for schools: an architecture that enables the integration and coordination of the respective infrastructures. The discussion in this paper addresses some key issues schools and school systems face in developing such an integrated architecture. Some premises, possible issues and potential solutions are canvassed concerning the development of inter-related infrastructures that enable the integration of new technologies into students’ learning: hence the title - Infrastructure for what? What infrastructure?