This essay proposes that in light of what has been called the "new economy," writing instructors need to rethink some of the pedagogical approaches and theories they use to professionalize their students. While at one time the concept of experiential or situated learning was useful for maximizing educational possibilities, everyone has moved into an era where technologies, economies, and global phenomena necessitate a reexamination of the ways that students learn and can potentially learn. Students are learning in networked ways much more than they are learning from traditional pedagogical approaches, even approaches that incorporate technologies in the classroom. In this essay, the author argues for a move from attention to the concept of situated learning toward what she would call networked learning, and she delineates networked learning according to four descriptors: horizontal, peripheral, nomadic, and independent. Such a move might allow writing instructors to (1) connect the classroom with what students are already doing in their own lives; (2) account for the current economic and technological influences; and (3) diffuse the conflict between academic and workplace interests, building bridges between these two interested parties. (Contains 78 online resources.)