This theme issue focuses on the challenges and opportunities of online technology as it is used by teachers and students in rural classrooms in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Vermont. "Computer Country" (Cynthia Baughman) is an overview of online collaborations of teachers in the Bread Loaf Rural Teacher Network. "Rural Teachers and Students: Connecting and Communicating" (Rocky Gooch) answers teacher questions on the classroom use of BreadNet, Bread Loaf's telecommunications network. "Student, Teacher, and Community Growth at Ganado Intermediate School: An Interview with Susan Stropko" (Chris Benson) describes professional development, technology implementation, student involvement, and goals of a Navajo school in the Bread Loaf network. "Native American Literature and Learning: A Multicultural Sharing" (Lucy Maddox) reports on the networking of Native American teachers. "Walking in Two Worlds: Poetic Explorations across Distances and Differences" (David Koehn) describes how a poem by a Navajo poet galvanized Alaska students to begin an online inquiry into the experience of biculturalism. "Writing with Telecommunications: Crossing Institutional Boundaries" (Ceci Lewis) describes collaborative writing projects that link high school and college students. "Rural Challenge Network: Reaching Out" (Anthony Kennedy, Natasha O'Brien) relates how principals and teachers in Alaska use networking for school reform and a pedagogy of place. "Cross-Age Conferencing: A Literary Inquiry" (Michelle Wyman-Warren) describes online discussion of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" by New Mexico high school students and Massachusetts college freshmen. "Listening to Students in the Connections Project" (Patricia Parrish) reports on an online writing exchange between middle-schoolers and preservice English teachers. Other brief articles include "Teacher Networking and Professional Development in Alaska: An Interview with Annie Calkins"; "Teacher Networks at Bread Loaf: The Endless Summer" (Diana Jaramillo); "Stepping Aside To See Ourselves" (Scott Christian); "Research for Action Submits Four-Year Report on BLRTN"; "'Exchanging Lives: Middle School Writers Online': A Review" (Chris Benson); "You Have Mail with Telecommunications" (Emily Quirion); "Between Two Schools: Poetry, Magic, Connection" (Doris A. Ezell-Schmitz); "Maple Syrup and Desert Sand: A Heritage Exchange" (Carol Zuccaro); "New Mexico and Alaska Border Jumpers" (Dianna Saiz); and "Andover Bread Loaf Writing Workshop Makes Annual Visit to BL" (Lou Bernieri). Includes 1997-98 announcements abut members, notes from state network meetings, 39 book and online resources on technology and education, and lists of rural teacher fellows. (SAS)