7 Ways to Navigate the Sea of Usernames and Passwords

What is my User Name and Password?

The technology age is here!!! If you didn’t know, now you know.mActually, it has been here for a while but it is hitting schools with full force thanks to Common Core and the digital testing that has come along with it.

The Common Core standards REQUIRE integration of technology, ready or not. This includes technology hardware, technology software, technological skills, accessing and evaluating the credibility of resources and content via the internet.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that majority of you are familiar

with the internet and its plethora of resources. Most of you know that almost any site visited will want what?...username and password. You can get lost within the sea of usernames and passwords that are to be created. Not only must you do this for yourself, but it must happen for your students as well. This can leave you daunted if you don't have a system to manage all off the passwords

So Here are a few ways to manage those usernames and passwords.

1. Create consistent username across sites.

Save yourself the headache and trouble of guessing your username and password by keeping them consistent across sites. If you want to separate professional from personal username/passwords, have a professional username and have a personal username. Use these same usernames each time you create an account.

2. Create passwords that are consistent across websites

Keep the same password for every site. For your protection, your many sites may request you set up an eclectic password. For example they may require a password with a number or a capital letter or a special character. Try not to have anymore than 3-4 variations. Have a password with most of these variations look below.

3. Keep a record of login information: sites, usernames & passwords

Somewhere in your life you must keep an ongoing record/log of usernames and passwords for yourself and for your students. It should include the web address, username and passwords. Here is a template that you can use for yourself and for your students. Although nowadays, passwords are already generated for your students. You can simply print out a list.

If you keep your passwords on a piece of paper you risk losing the paper.

4. You can keep login information on your phone

Every smart phone has a notes app that comes with the phone. You can simply store information there. Your phone is usually always with you. If you need to login to a site and your passwords are your phone, then you always have your passwords available during these times of need.

I have been keeping ongoing lists for my passwords for a while.I began using Wunderlist before I even thought about searching for a password app. I like Wunderlist a lot, which is just a list app. You can create all sorts of list but it is not made just for keeping passwords. They have many apps dedicated to passwords like 1Password, Keeper Password, Password Manager, just to name a few. (These are apps I've heard of but I have never used). Wunderlist was kind of easy for me...not a whole lot of set up and data entry.

5. Personally encrypt your password

When you list your passwords do not enter the entire password. If you know your base password then list a portion of it, or the variation that you know is different. For example, if your password is heart25%, then put rt25%.

You already know your base password is heart so no need toe nter the entire word. Someone could get access to your phone and t your information would be compromised.

6. Online storage

If you are like me, I keep everything stored online. You can do the same on some of the online storage sites, like Google Drive, Dropbox, One Note, Evernote, and more. You can always access these files from your phone or computer.

7. Keep a technology box/folder

For testing time, keep everything related to testing and technology in a technology box or folder. The worst thing around testing time is trying to locate student passwords, login cards, and everything needed to test.

I will provide you with a template to house your passwords in the event you don't keep them on your phone. You can find them on my teachers pay teachers site at.

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/theteachingoddess

Thanks for reading along. I hope this helps you navigate the sea of usernames and passwords for you and your students.

Until next time...

Peace, Blessings and Progress

Megan Faux,

The Teaching Goddess