Starting this fall, students at Calgary public schools will be able to surf their iPhones, cellphones and laptops in the classroom.

The Calgary Board of Education is installing a Wi-Fi network for students in all its elementary, junior and senior high schools.

Currently, only teachers at the board's 216 schools have wireless access to the internet.

Curtis Slater, the board's technology researcher, said the idea is to give kids better access to the most current information.

"The potential is there and the rationale for doing it is to allow students greater access to information that's out there and greater ability to get a hold of some of these applications and online resources that are out there and use them in the classroom," Slater said.

School board officials say teachers will have to take a course that will help them teach students how to be safe and respectful online before the network is activated.

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