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As the use of personal and instructional technology becomes increasingly embedded into day-to-day operations, superintendents need more than ever to be intimately involved in the direction, decisions and deliverables of a school district's technology initiatives.

Last night was Family Night at my kids' elementary school. You know, that night when you visit your kid's class with the other parents, learn about the curriculum and teacher expectations for the year, sit in little tiny chairs, etc. Each parent was asked to sign the district's Digital Resources Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for the 2008-2009 school year. Not a single parent read over the AUP; everyone just signed it blindly. Except me, of course. I combed through it because, as a former attorney and technology guy, I want to know what I'm signing on behalf of my fifth-grade daughter.

Acceptable Use Policies developed as a result of legislation that attempted to govern how schools allowed students to use the Internet. While legislation usually did not directly call for their formation, it was sort of the implementation of choice for most schools around the country. The policy is basically a signed agreement documenting what's acceptable in using the Internet at school (although as Karl Fisch stated, it is really an unacceptable use policy as most of them are just a list of things that kids cannot do). Parents and students had to sign the AUP before they were granted any Internet privileges at school. In that way, it was sort of like a contract between the school and the student's family.

Virtual Assistant A virtual assistant is a businessperson who provides professional and personal support to clients from a home office. He/she takes part in helping small business owners and individuals. A VA provides the support and assistance that you need at a very small percent of the usual/expected cost to pay if you had to hire a permanent or temporary staff member. There are many areas where you can make use of VA talent for your business. The general administrative services include schedule/calendar management. A personal assistant organizes and tracts clients day-to-day schedule. He/she is also responsible in organizing of communication records. It is also his administrative task to check phone calls and process mailings to potential clients or customers. He is the one who make travel arrangements. Internet research and gathering data online, analyzing data and create reports, editing, and writing services are also an administrative services of a virtual assistant.. A successful virtual assistant must demonstrate knowledge in the English grammar, spelling and punctuation. He/she must use the English language correctly and effectively in writing articles, sales pages, and reports. It is necessary for a virtual assistant to demonstrate skills in adapting new technology and be innovative enough to apply it on the job. A virtual assistant can bring many advantages to business owners by helping them to save more time and money, and decreases their clients' workload so they have more time in building a very profitable and successful business. By working with a virtual assistant, you only hire their services and when you need them you only pay for the hours that work is required.