The article attempts to systematically comprehend the changes that the new era of smart education entails. The analytical basis of the study was the theoretical work and publications of Russian and foreign scientists describing the experience of introducing certain elements of smart education into practice. During the analysis, the principles of network methodology were identified and its theoretical and practical aspects in smart education were revealed. The theoretical aspect is based on the work of scientists in the field of communication theory. The principles of network methodology include the presence of social networks and network graphs (network models). The practical aspects of the network methodology are revealed through the transformation of traditional practices in the field of education: educational environment, curriculum, academic discipline, electronic interactive textbook, forms and methods for monitoring learning outcomes, a virtual classroom. In the conclusion, the authors provide some characteristic features of the transformation of the education system: non-linear networking, standardization and hierarchy of goals and content, the presence of a large database.