Not so, say both teachers who have lead on-line classes and students who have attended them. Rather, both say there are many opportunities for students to interact with the teachers, as well as other students.

Many on-line classes compensate for the lack of live interaction between students by requiring them to post their thoughts on the class on discussion boards set up by the teacher. These requirements actually make it more difficult for students to “hide” than traditional bricks-and-mortar schools where a shy student can sit unnoticed in the back of the classroom.

The course’s instructors disseminate the “lectures” to students in a variety of ways. Some may provide simulcasts of the lecture. Others may offer recorded class seasons available on the web. More commonly, teachers will upload their lecture notes and study aides on the web.

However the student views the lecture on the site, the teacher will always be available for follow-up questions. Often times, the learner can e-mail the instructor, and the teacher replies back with the answer. Others keep regular office hours where they can be reached over the phone to answer questions.

Some programs even feature group projects where students bridge the gaps of geography by using the web or teleconferencing to work collaboratively. This approach enables students in New York, Bismarck, North Dakota and Los Angeles to work together on the same project.

Rather than being isolating, taking an on-line course can connect you to people you wouldn’t meet in a traditional classroom.

By David Plowman

While these alerts send to journalists and media representatives may seem like an antiquated concept from years gone by, press releases are surprisingly relevant in today’s world, and may actually offer a better return on your investment than some of the more modern tools of the trade.

Press releases can benefit your company in several ways:

• Increase Incoming Links. You may choose to have a press release service set up a distribution list for you, compile your own list or a combination of the two. Which ever way you choose, your press release, along with its incoming links to your site will be filtered to hundreds (or even thousands) of sites throughout the web. This in turn may also increase your search engine ranking.
• Increase traffic on your site. Of course, the purpose of the incoming links is to direct traffic to your site. Note that while your press release will be directed toward journalists, many of the sites that receive press releases aren’t limited to media professionals. You will be able to reach consumers directly through your press release.
• Generate interviews. The benefits listed above will happen even if your press release is never picked-up by a media organization. But if your press release achieves its chief goal and you are contacted for an interview, the benefits can be exponential. One interview can be noticed by thousands of potential customers who will head to your site. In addition, you can use media exposure to generate even more attention from the media by contacting other organizations.

These unexpected benefits come with another pleasant surprise, distributing press release can be relatively inexpensive, compared to some of the newer tools available to web marketers, including price per click services on search engines.

Of course, not all press releases get picked up by the media, and to maximize their benefit, you should take care to make sure they are well-written and that both your website and your company are receptive to journalists, should they come a calling.

In order to do so, consider taking the following steps:

• Write to your audience. Remember, you are not writing an internal memo or to distributors who are already familiar with your products or services. Make sure the press release is both interesting and understandable for the editors. Avoid using any technical jargon, and explain any terminology you do have to use.
• Use standard formats. Remember you won’t be writing the news story in the press release itself, but a description of the story. Press releases follow a standardized format. Search the web for a sample to model yours after.
• Make your website journalist-friendly. It may be helpful to put up a “for the media” section of your site where you can list the appropriate contact people and their information. Additionally, have a description of what your company does and any other press releases your have issued.
• Be able to reply to answer inquires quickly. Journalists work on tight deadlines. Make sure your company is able to attend to questions promptly.

While SEO and PPC services play an important role in today’s e-commerce world,  the old-world press release are still surprisingly relevant.

By David Plowman

• Volunteer. Find an activity you enjoy and find an organization matches your talent. For example, if you play the piano, see if you can play at your church, perform at nursing home or even score an internship at your city’s symphony. If you are a writer, see if you can intern at a local paper or help with a non-profit organization’s newsletter. Not only will you be starting an early habit of giving back to the community, you will be gaining real-world experience which will look good on a college (or job) application.
• Attend a camp. This doesn’t have to be the “back to nature camp in the woods” you may have experienced when you were just a little kid. Rather, there are a variety of specialized camps catering to teens with a variety of interests including music, sports, artists and, inc case you actually enjoyed the “back to nature” camps when you were a kid, you can always camp in the wilderness again as a teen.. Whatever activity you choose, you’ll have a chance to do something you love and meet others with similar interests.
• Find a job. O.K. you’ve probably heard this enough from your parents, so I’ll keep this section brief. Whether it is a job that requires you to say “would you like any fries with that?” or a job more aligned with your career or academic goals, you’ll be getting extra spending money, and build positive work habits. More importantly, you won’t have to hear your parents nag you to get a job because you’ll be at work!

Enjoy the summer off from school, but don’t let it just pass you by, get involved in something that will serve you well, now and in the future.

By David Plowman