Educationally successful electronic network activities involving microcomputers and long-distance networks include a student newswire, joint social science projects, and joint science projects. A newswire activity, such as "The Computer Chronicles," can provide a wide range of audiences for writing, a functional environment for reading, and a context for evaluating the writing of oneself and others. Joint social science projects carried out by middle and high school students and teachers at sites in California, Israel, Japan, Alaska, and Mexico have involved students in comparing educational systems across sites, analyzing the news coverage of the "same" event at the different sites, and surveying popular music at the different locations. Joint science projects currently are being organized in which students collect data on some shared problem, jointly analyze the data, and report findings. Not only is this a "functional learning environment" for science instruction, but it also may be a powerful way to teach problem solving. In the longer run, these kinds of joint activities can become a central part of the educational experience. The dynamic support provided by computers and computer networks may make it economically feasible to include an "apprenticeship" model for learning as a central part of our educational system. (RH)