• If you don't know how to backup files, find a youtube video, instructional web page, ask a friend or pay someone to set up and show you how. It's that important!
• Even if you work in an environment that does backups, make your own! Remember, it is your data, you are responsible for it, and you will be the one crying if everything is lost!
• Test your backups. A backup isn't any good if you can't use it.
• Periodically review your backup policies. You might need/want to tweak them. Update your bookmark backups, etc. You might have old files that can be archived on CD/DVD and deleted from the hard drive.

Snipping tool  is a free utility application that comes with standard installations of Windows 7 and Windows 8. In Windows 7 click: Start > All Programs > Accessories > Snipping Tool.

(With Windows 8, press the Win Key and type Snipping Tool)

What is so great about Snipping Tool? Many people have a need for taking a “snapshot” of any number of things on their computer. Especially if you are creating a “howto” document.

Windows Snipping Tool has the following options:

• Free Form snip

• Rectangular snip (default)

• Window snip

• Full-Screen snip

If you are going to use snipping tool a lot, I suggest you pin it to the Windows Taskbar, that way it is always available and a one click execute.

When you get ready to take a screenshot, just click on Snipping Tool. The snipping tool window will pop up and your cursor will become an active selection cursor depending on which mode you are in. You then select or choose the portion of the screen you would like to capture.

Once you have snipped all or a portion of your screen (or Window), the Snipping Tool Window opens. In the snipping tool window, you have a pen, a highlighter  and an eraser to use to edit the image. The pen is a free form drawing tool as is the highlighter. These tools, although simple, allow you to circle, underline, highlight & markup the file as you see fit. You do not have a lot of editing features. Snipping Tool is a simple tool, but it is very effective.

After you have edited the file, you have the option of saving it. The file can be saved in three popular graphic file formats:

• PNG (Portable Network Graphic)

• GIF (Graphic Interchange Format)

• JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

Or as a single HTML file (MHT file to be opened in a web browser) (This is not an easily edited format. Used mostly for archive purposes).

Dr. Lodge McCammon is focused on improving teacher quality and helping teachers create learning environments that are highly collaborative, differentiated, and engaging.