 Hello, I'm Almodena Vicente-Frankeda and in this video of the Digitally Competent Educational Organization's course by Dane Teff, we will talk about planning and managing a school's digital infrastructure. Learning anytime, learning anywhere, learning alone, but in contact with other students with different levels of knowledge and competences, constant lifelong learning. All of these expressions define different types of learning which may not be possible in real life if we are not able to plan and manage the digital infrastructure that enables us to expand learning beyond the classroom and the physical presence of teachers and students. When referring to infrastructure, the European framework they come or mentions not only the digital infrastructure, but also physical learning spaces that have to be designed in such a way that they will allow the effective use of technologies and new teaching methodologies. In this sense, having a reliable, secure and scalable digital infrastructure is fundamental for any proposal related to the digital competence of organizations. If it's not reliable, there are no guarantees that we can access the digital tools everywhere and at all times, whenever we need them. If it's not safe, we cannot ensure the protection of our personal information, activities and facilities against malicious attacks and against unwanted use of our data. And last, if they are not scalable, infrastructures can become outdated because of the dynamic character of educational organizations or they can work improperly when they use parameters change. Needless to say that planning and managing the digital infrastructure entails certain aspects that go beyond competence. Planning and managing the digital infrastructure primarily depends on the current situation of technology and on the market. Furthermore, market issues related to planning and managing digital infrastructures influence decision making processes that often have nothing to do with educational organizations. The parties responsible for making decisions in this area are public administrations or private agencies. In other words, educational organizations are responsible for planning and managing the digital infrastructures, but their implementation is linked to technology and budget related issues that usually go beyond organizations' competence or intentions. However, even though they don't make the decisions, these schools need to have a clear vision of how the digital infrastructure needs to be in order to ensure effective learning in the circumstances we mentioned above. And they also need to establish what will happen to the infrastructure once it becomes obsolete. In this sense, they come or identify two sub-elements for this element. Physical and virtual learning spaces are designed for digital age learning. The digital infrastructure is planned and managed. These two sub-elements actually remind us that we are at a point where physical space merges with virtual space in such a way that they become one environment in which they give each other constant feedback. But in order for this to happen, we must make sure that digital infrastructure matches up with the physical space and that it allows the users the access to learning in an invisible but critical manner. With regards to the first sub-element related to the design of the spaces for the digital age learning, two descriptors were mentioned. Physical learning spaces optimize the affordances of digital age learning. Virtual learning spaces are optimized. Both descriptors talk about optimizing, that is, finding the best possible relations between all the elements of the physical and virtual environments so that the learning process takes place in the best possible setting. A good starting point in the design of the spaces is the idea of the semiotics of the spaces and infrastructures. The spaces and infrastructures bear and spoken messages of our learning and teaching models and theories and there is a great feedback between all of the components in both the physical component, the epistemological component and the teaching and learning practices. A component becomes effective when the others complement it. In the same way, they block or impoverish learning when there is a conflict between them. This is where the idea of harmonizing both the spaces stem from. In the same way, the implementation and management of the digital infrastructure should be governed by the equal opportunities and elimination of various principles. The educational organization has to show sensitivity to these issues and take appropriate actions so that economically disadvantaged students or especially students have full access to technologies. In this regard, the access to technology is no longer a possibility. It is starting to be shaped as a right in the process of shaping identities and citizenship. It's precisely when exercising this right that schools need to be particularly careful with information processing because these have to comply with current legislation. Apart from that, schools need to ensure the privacy, confidentiality and the safe use of technologies and data for all the members of the educational community. As part of exercising the responsibility, the digitally competent organization can adapt an acceptable use policy. These should describe two sets of behaviors and practices. One that the organization promotes and another one set of behaviors and practices that should be avoided because they present a risk to oneself or other individuals or institutions. In fact, we can think of these policies as means to create healthy behaviors of technologies usage for all the educational community. Planning and managing the digital infrastructure is one of the responsibilities of the educational organization. This entails not only providing the best possible infrastructure for learning, but it also requires the organization to ensure that all members of the educational community make good use of it. At the same time, an onus and transparent management of the budget allocated to the procurement and maintenance of the digital infrastructure is required. In short, the descriptors that allow us to analyze our school digital planning in terms of planning and managing the digital infrastructure are. An acceptable usage policy is in place. Pedagogical and technical expertise informs investments in digital technologies. A range of digital learning technologies supports any time, any place learning. Bring your own device, BYOD approaches are supported. Risks relating to inequality and digital inclusion are addressed. Technical and user support is clear. Assistive technologies address the special needs. Measures to protect privacy, confidentiality and safety are clear. Effective procurement planning is evident. An operational plan for core ICT backbone and services is in place. Needless to say, we are facing an important challenge. Educational organizations have to rely on a significant professional capital in order to ensure that all of these issues are adequately addressed. This can be done either with the expertise and skills of the members of the educational community or with external support. Digitally competent organizations require adequate digital infrastructures in order to exist and grow. However, if an organization lacks digital competence as described here, then it does not make any sense and it's useless to have a certain type of digital infrastructure. Nowadays, we can enchant learning with the help of technology. Nevertheless, only with the help of individuals who are dedicated, competent and willing to learn, can we create learning organizations that teach more and better thanks to technology. Our world is not divided into two with one side being the analog world and on the other side the digital world. The digital environment is just another structure with different ways of doing and of learning things in which we have to find our place. The sense of the digital competence nowadays is linked to individuals who are able to learn in organizations that learn in complex environments using digital technologies.