Why Wireless?

In his "Best(?) of the Fischbowl 2007" Karl Fisch defends the opening of AHS's wireless network to personally owned devices five days a week in an article entitled "Why Wireless". Fisch was asked by the school's principal to discuss this move in the school newsletter and Fisch transfered his discussion to his blog. Throughout his defense of wireless access, Fisch intersperses a series of quotes and perhaps this one defines AHS's endeavor best
"In times of rapid change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists."- Eric Hoffer.

In the 21st century, Fisch argues, students cannot rest on their laurels as information, particularly pertaining to technology, must be learned, unlearned, and relearned in order to maintain the edge in society. It is imperative that students are given access to, and are in the habit of maintaining, the skills necessary to advance in the 21st century. Thus tools like wireless internet and the wealth of information that it opens to the students, must be utilized and embraced as readily as the previous generation entered the library. Thus students are given the responsibility of wireless access rather than presupposing that they are going to abuse the internet and mess up. Utilizing the internet will become second nature, and through habit will become ever more comfortable accessing and learning from the information they find there. That is "Why Wireless".