As a follow-up to Matt's blog about backing up data, I wanted to add this. Now that we have begun saving our data on flash/pen drives which are digital, many people think of this as a great backup. In fact it is, but you must consider a few things. The more you use the flash drive (in and out of the computer to access, add, or change data) it will also go bad.
Just recently a teacher lost all of her basic communication data that she used during the year that was on a flash drive. The data is still there, but it cannot be accessed. We are fortunate that as staff members we have access to a personal place on the server where we can backup data as an additional source, if a flash drive goes bad. Commonly referred to the "U" drive, it shows up under My Computer when you log in with your name and password. No one can access this unless they log in with your access (and this should actually only be you).
True the server is only accessible at your school site, but better there than losing all your data on a flash and having to recreate it from scratch.
If you have any questions about backing up your data, let me know, and I'd be glad to help.
Keywords: backup, data, flash drive