Journal 3:
“Nailing Digital Jelly to a Virtual Tree” by Ferdi Serim and Kathy Schrock




Integrating ever evolving technologies (digital jelly) can be accomplished if the infrastructure (virtual tree) of a school system is ready to sustain it. The article discusses three branches of the virtual tree that need to be ready in order for the digital jelly to stick. They are organizational capacity, process management, and operational capacity. Organizational capacity includes the manpower needed to actual educate the users of the technology. A computer with the latest capabilities isn’t any good if its user is not trained on those capabilities and worse; if its user doesn’t even know those capabilities are even there. If that is the case, what’s the point of paying for technology that isn’t going to be used? Similarly, if there is a break in the branch of process management and the tools used to directly support teaching and learning such as instructional media tools among others are not provided the jelly may slip away. The operational capacity branch of the tree is also important because it offers the network security and data management needed to sustain a healthy infrastructure in which new technologies can co-exist with existing technologies.

Technology changes so quickly that within months the same item may be available in a smaller, faster, cheaper form. School administrators are often left to speculation and hope that the items they have purchased in massive quantities will sustain the evolution of technology and will be useful for many years to come. Schools must also take a look at their virtual tree of infrastructure and determine whether all three branches have the capacity to sustain the various flavors of jelly or emerging technologies they are considering.

Schools don’t have to make these decisions alone. ISTE has organized an Emerging Technologies Task Force to create a reliable resource that educators can use when making these decisions. They have created a database where educators can explore what types of technology might work in their circumstances.

Question: How will I decide on the technology I will use in the classroom?

I will definitely keep an eye on ISTE. I was a little reluctant to pay for the membership but I am discovering that ISTE is worth the money because it offers so many resources regarding technology for educators. I will use the database made available by the ET task force and I would imagine that by the time I am a teacher, ISTE will have many other resources available too.

Question: How will I keep my fear of learning about new technology in check?

I have never really been into technology. Not because I don’t think its cool, but because I often feared the learning process. I now know that ISTE has a variety of resources available and learning about the new stuff wont be so bad. I’m so glad that there are databases available out there and that they provide the necessary information at just a click of the mouse. I will fear no more! Mostly…