Password Strategies to Use With Your K-2 Students

For security purposes beginning in the 07-08 school year everyone, including students will be required to have a five character password. This means that you will need to be prepared to adjust the password strategy you used in the past.  Below are some examples of how you might have students set their passwords.  All students must log in with their own individual student number and password!

What will it look like?
Students logging in for the first time will use their student number as their User Id and Password. They will then  receive the following warning: You are required to change your password at first logon.

The student will then be asked to complete the following steps.
      enter their old password (their student number)
      enter their new password
      confirm their new password by entering it again.

Once the students complete these steps they will use their student number and their new password every time they need or want to use a computer.

Examples of simple passwords for your K-2 students

  Allow students to choose a five character word that they know well and can spell.

  Allow students to choose a CVC word as their password and then repeat the word.
     (i.e., catcat, dogdog, mommom, daddad, redred)

  Assign each student a high frequency word as their password and repeat the word.
     (i.e., andand, thethe, youyou)

How can you help your students memorize their new password?

Beginning of the Year Student Help Card
Help your students memorize their user id (student number) and new password,  record both on an index card that they can bring with them to the computer lab or the classroom computer.  After a few weeks students should have their user id and password memorized and will no longer need  their cards.

Meet the Teacher Night Center or Homework
Have the parents help their child select a five character password and record it for you either by emailing you the student's password or by filling out  a Student User Id and Password recording sheet.  During Meet the Teacher Night have parents help their child select a five character password and record it for you by filling out  a Student User Id and Password recording sheet.  You can also have parents help their child set their password at Meet the Teacher Night. This will allow the students to choose passwords that are meaningful to them.  Parents will then know what their child’s user id and password is and can help the student memorize their user id and password at home. Attached are the directions for the center and the password recording sheets.
Center Directions        Recording Sheets        Recording Cards

File Folder Laptop Keyboards
Many of you already use File Folder Laptops to have your students practice typing sight words. You can also use these to have students practice  using their user id and password during your lit workstation time or for homework.  Below is a link to a keyboard template and a picture of a Laptop Keyboard File folder.
Keyboard Template

Managing your Students' Passwords
Make sure to record your students' passwords somewhere so that you can look up student User Ids or Passwords if a student has forgotten his or her password.  Below are two options that you can choose from to document your students' passwords.

Option 1 - Log into Inform and print out your class roster report and record each students' password.
                                                             http://www.kyrene.org/kip/

Option 2 - Click on the worksheet button in Inform. This gives you a simpler table of just student names and ID numbers. Click and drag to highlight the table of student names and ID numbers. Copy  the table of student names into Excel. Now you have a nice spreadsheet of your class!