Password Management

Web 2.0 is the greatest thing ever! Especially when you consider the advanced technology available to us today. And the best part about it- a lot of it is FREE!

Recently, my third grade class went green and completed a Gifted and Talented Project all online! No papers, no posters, no mess! They blogged their projects using Dabbleboard for brainstorming, edublogs to record information and Voki to add that cool factor! They also have an e-mail account for communication purposes. That adds up to a really cool project and 4 username and password combinations!

So what is a frazzled GT/Technology teacher to do? How do I manage all of those passwords? Or better yet how do I teach the students to manage their own passwords?

My solution was to have each student maintain a file in their e-mail inbox draft folder. They opened a new e-mail and then listed all of the websites and passwords. Then they save the e-mail as a draft with the subject line "Password Management." So next time they ask me, "What's my password?" I can direct them to their own system of management, thus saving me a few more hairs from early gray.

Of course, I have access to the password for the e-mail accounts and blogs, because I am the administrator of those accounts. But for those really great web 2.0 products out there, the students have to log in and create an account. I can't imagine trying to manage all of those log ins and passwords. Personally, I have to keep a large rolodex with all of my various passwords and usernames.