5 WAYS TO MANAGE STUDENT DIGITAL ACCOUNTS
Digital learning tools are an essential part of learning in the contemporary classroom, bringing with them many benefits – diversity of materials, engaging content, differentiation and the list goes on. As teachers we all have our favourites and most students look forward to using any digital tool. But with all the benefits and fun comes the workload associated with managing accounts, passwords and access.
Here are 5 ways you can manage your classes accounts:
Photocopied login sheets for each student
A photocopied sheet for each child showing all their logins is a popular management strategy.
Pros: This approach is very accessible. Photocopiers are readily available and the process is pretty straightforward – print, cut, collate and copy. It is also budget friendly.
Cons: Set up - print, cut, collate and copy – is time consuming and spending the afternoon in the copy room isn’t many people's idea of fun. With every misplaced sheet, the process needs to be started from scratch. On top of that, new students joining the class means more printing, cutting, collating and copying. And after all that time, you still have to navigate the challenges of students actually finding the digital tool and successfully logging in.
Collection of credentials per platform
Whether you keep your logins in a folder, a tray or on a key ring, storing credentials sorted by platform makes sense. After all, your class will regularly be logging in to the same resource at the same time.
Pros: Access the whole class's login details in one place. There will also be fewer lost logins as the teacher stores them all.
Cons: Handing out all credentials at the start of a lesson can be time consuming. This strategy also doesn’t manage the chaos of the actual logging in – finding the right app, opening the login screen, entering the username and password correctly and keeping 26 kids on task. Before you know it half an hour has passed and that’s assuming no student loses their details between you handing it to them and the learning actually starting! This approach doesn’t make sending credentials home easy.
Credentials glued into student workbook
A staple in many classrooms; gluing login details into the cover of a workbook is very popular.
Pros: Having credentials stuck to desks makes them super accessible and hard for students to lose – you won’t spend a lot of time searching for these credentials!
Cons: Fixing credentials to a desk reduces flexibility in the seating plan and makes adjustments tricky which may not suit your class. Managing credentials this way also means that students need to be at their desks to enter their details which isn’t always practical with small group tasks and shared devices. Students picking at contact can also mean repairs that take time you just don’t have. This approach also comes with security concerns having credentials on display and does nothing to make the actual login process easier.
Credentials fixed to student desks
A roll of contact, a pile of printed login cards and an hour or two in a student free classroom and you will have a beautifully arranged set of credentials on each student's desk.
Pros: Having credentials stuck to desks makes them super accessible and hard for students to lose – you won’t spend a lot of time searching for these credentials!
Cons: Fixing credentials to a desk reduces flexibility in the seating plan and makes adjustments tricky which may not suit your class. Managing credentials this way also means that students need to be at their desks to enter their details which isn’t always practical with small group tasks and shared devices. Students picking at contact can also mean repairs that take time you just don’t have. This approach also comes with security concerns having credentials on display and does nothing to make the actual login process easier.
ClassHive Account
The newest solution in the classroom, ClassHive, keeps all your digital resources in one easy to access digital dashboard and doesn't require student usernames and passwords!
Pros: Complete with tools for both students and teachers, the list of pros is considerable. Credentials cannot be lost and are accessible on any device after a simple login using a QR code. The easy-to-use teacher dashboard means you can print student credentials quickly if you do want a hard copy; the one QR code allows for access to every digital tool your school has to offer. The auto-login function reduces the chaos of finding the right platform and the time it takes to get the class logged in.
Cons: With users reporting ClassHive saves up to 2 hours per week, it's hard to find any negatives!
