Teachers resetting pupil passwords

As we are upgrading this summer from a server 2000 and classlink network to a new mostly vanilla server 2003 network with Netsupport schools or Manager installed, how easy is it for teachers to reset pupil passwords from there workstations? Is this something that server 2003 lets them do easily or can Netsupport do this?

 

Dave.

search the forums for 'self service password reset'.

Your best option and cheapest is to install the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 admin tools onto all workstations, which is an msi you can download. Then using the Microsoft Managment Console, add the Users and Computers snap in, then create a custom tasks view, and save it. Put a shortcut to it on your staff desktops, and also give deligation for staff to reset passwords permission the root OU of the pupil user accounts.

 

I've attched a screen shot of the password manager i created using this process. Only takes 5 minutes max to create.

Even easier (for teaching staff and yourself in less tuition time) is to use password control from wisesoft. No need to install the msc onto the client then, just delegate permisions to change passwords to the teacher group.

 

http://www.wisesoft.co.uk/Products/PasswordControl/Images/enabled_user.PNG

Only takes 5 minutes max to create.

 

Looks good. Can you list the steps you took to create this?

Self Service Password Reset lets pupils reset their own password when they forget it and also has a web based interface to allow teachers and other staff to reset pupils passwords.

 

Ben

Only takes 5 minutes max to create.

 

Looks good. Can you list the steps you took to create this?

 

1. Go to an XP Station and make sure the Server admin tools pack is installed.

 

2. click start, then run, and type mmc

 

3. File, Add Remove Snap in

 

4. Click Add

 

5. Select Active Directory Computers and Users

 

6. Click Add

 

7. Click OK

 

8. You will then have the normal Active Directory user/computer manager, go to the root OU where your pupils are stored.

 

9. Right Click on the OU and select new window from here

 

10. Close the other window from the root of the domain as we do not need that.

 

11. Click View then "New taskpad view"

 

12. Select Horazontal List as style

 

13. Click Next and Next again giving the view what ever names you want.

 

14. Do not run the next wizard.

 

15. Highlight a user account, then go Action, Edit Task Pad View, then click on the tasks tab.

 

16. Click NEW then menu command, and then select Reset Password on the right hand pane. Click next, give it an icon. Click Finish close the boxes. Now when you click a user you get the reset password icon appear.

 

17. Now just do a tidy up, get the view as you want it, click file options give it a name, icon for the console, save the console and create a shortcut to it on a shared drive and as along as the admin tools are install on the station it will work.

 

Sorry if i have missed a bit off, i'm rushed this morning.

I have to say, i disagree with giving staff the rights to change a student password. Staff are a pain in the ass for not locking there work stations when they walk away from the machine/classroom. This gives the carrupt student to go ahead and change the users password. armed with know the username and passwrod they could do all sorts, and most of time its cyber bullying or deleting student work. In my opinion I think it should be left up to us the tech support staff to change passwords.

I only give it certain staff. those I know i can trust.

 

Sadly this doesn't include the IT teaching staff.....

I have to say, i disagree with giving staff the rights to change a student password.

 

I agree with this in principle but in practice in a school of over 2000 users it's just not possible to keep control of passwords as pupils constantly forget them. It would soak up too much time if we didnt delegate some control to certain lab staff.

There's also the possibility that if a member of staff asks us to do a passsword reset it may be that the pupils class is finished before we get a chance to do it if we're out of the office for any reason. This was one of the main reasons we relaxed the policy.

 

We use MMC console's aswell BTW

Our receptionists are well versed in changing passwords via the SSPR web interface.

 

I can't remember the last time I changed one.

 

Ben

I have to say, i disagree with giving staff the rights to change a student password.

 

I agree with this in principle but in practice in a school of over 2000 users it's just not possible to keep control of passwords as pupils constantly forget them. It would soak up too much time if we didnt delegate some control to certain lab staff.

There's also the possibility that if a member of staff asks us to do a passsword reset it may be that the pupils class is finished before we get a chance to do it if we're out of the office for any reason. This was one of the main reasons we relaxed the policy.

 

We use MMC console's aswell BTW

 

I agree with you on a large scale, its difficult to meet the demand of students needing there passwords changing.

 

@ Dave-a

 

Im sure you probably aware of this but, I would double make sure that the password policy on the server is set high, so staff cant go giving kids passwords like 'Superman' etc.

 

I have very little confidence with staff when it comes down to network security. Some times I feel like they just laugh behind our backs.

Can you guys imagine what it's like in a primary school re kids forgetting passwords and staff being a bit lax??? to the point of going into liquid form?

 

On the plus side we have very few kids who think much above learning someone else's password as the height of Crowleyesque naughtiness, so I'll shut up now.

Can you guys imagine what it's like in a primary school re kids forgetting passwords and staff being a bit lax??? to the point of going into liquid form?

 

How many primary schools give all the pupils a unique password? All of our pupils have the same network logon password for this reason. They WILL forget it.

 

At one school, pupils were allowed to set their own password for their new e-mail accounts. I counted at least 25 times within the first two weeks (and many more times afterwards) that the following conversation took place:

 

Teacher: Student X cannot log on to their e-mail

Me: (to pupil) Did you change your password from the default password?

Pupil: Yeah

Me: What did you change it to?

Pupil: I can't remember

 

My college had a great way of doing it. At the beginning of every year, all new students had an account and password generated for them automatically. The usernames and passwords were printed off and handed to the reception "helpdesk" staff in the learning centre. Students were not allowed to change their own passwords, so any student who forgot their password went to the helpdesk in the learning centre and it would be given to them once they proved who they were.

 

The above way of doing it meant that resetting passwords was never an issue for the IT support staff and the helpdesk staff only had to look up what the password was, not actually change it.

Only takes 5 minutes max to create.

 

Looks good. Can you list the steps you took to create this?

 

1. Go to an XP Station and make sure the Server admin tools pack is installed.

 

2. click start, then run, and type mmc

 

3. File, Add Remove Snap in

 

4. Click Add

 

5. Select Active Directory Computers and Users

 

6. Click Add

 

7. Click OK

 

8. You will then have the normal Active Directory user/computer manager, go to the root OU where your pupils are stored.

 

9. Right Click on the OU and select new window from here

 

10. Close the other window from the root of the domain as we do not need that.

 

11. Click View then "New taskpad view"

 

12. Select Horazontal List as style

 

13. Click Next and Next again giving the view what ever names you want.

 

14. Do not run the next wizard.

 

15. Highlight a user account, then go Action, Edit Task Pad View, then click on the tasks tab.

 

16. Click NEW then menu command, and then select Reset Password on the right hand pane. Click next, give it an icon. Click Finish close the boxes. Now when you click a user you get the reset password icon appear.

 

17. Now just do a tidy up, get the view as you want it, click file options give it a name, icon for the console, save the console and create a shortcut to it on a shared drive and as along as the admin tools are install on the station it will work.

 

Sorry if i have missed a bit off, i'm rushed this morning.

 

Thanks for this - it makes building a 'emergency toolkit', for ordinary tasks if I am off ill, nice and easy. Just create a couple of these for different functions, bung em all under one MMC and voila, an easy to use admin tool.

_BAT_ stated:-

 

>>My college had a great way of doing it. At the beginning of every year, all new students had an account and password generated for them automatically. The usernames and passwords were printed off and handed to the reception "helpdesk" staff in the learning centre. Students were not allowed to change their own passwords, so any student who forgot their password went to the helpdesk in the learning centre and it would be given to them once they proved who they were.

 

The above way of doing it meant that resetting passwords was never an issue for the IT support staff and the helpdesk staff only had to look up what the password was, not actually change it.<<

 

Hi

I use a similar method, I give each student a username and password when they join the school and this they keep until they leave after 4 years (or sometimes sooner). I have all users names, year group, usernames and passwords on a spreadsheet which is only kept in the teachers resources area so it is only teachers who can access it and it is read only with the password written in white on a white background, the way they read it is to select the cell and read from the top box.

I give each user a slip with all their details on and they are instructed to keep the slip until they know everything off by heart and they are told the consequences of telling others their details.

 

If a child forgets their password they simply ask the teacher who can get it easily for them from the teachers resource area. (Note: No techie involved ) )

 

This has worked extremely well for several years and I only have to change a password on a rare occasion.

 

Maybe this will give someone else an idea to make a system up for themselves using a similar base.

 

We are a middle school with about 600 students.

 

BR

Trav

_BAT_ stated:-

 

Hi

I use a similar method, I give each student a username and password when they join the school and this they keep until they leave after 4 years (or sometimes sooner). I have all users names, year group, usernames and passwords on a spreadsheet which is only kept in the teachers resources area so it is only teachers who can access it and it is read only with the password written in white on a white background, the way they read it is to select the cell and read from the top box.

I give each user a slip with all their details on and they are instructed to keep the slip until they know everything off by heart and they are told the consequences of telling others their details.

 

If a child forgets their password they simply ask the teacher who can get it easily for them from the teachers resource area. (Note: No techie involved ) )

 

BR

Trav

 

This is what we were doing until recently (even though it makes my teeth ache as a proper Network Manager - then some wonderful teacher left their station logged in, kids nicked the lists off the teacher area - and lo all hell broke loose. Cue a miserable couple of weeks for resetting 1400 passwords and dealing with the barrage of calls and visits about students who don't know their passwords - argghh.

 

I'm looking for a way to make it harder for them to get/change their passwords - as stroppy kid says to teacher "Can't remember me password", teacher kid spot this as code for "let me go off and wander about for half an hour or I'll be a pita in your lesson", kid is dispatched to tech support, where they arrive after a fag, snog and wander, disrupt us for a minute or two, and they a slow stroll back in time to collect their bag. Or praps I'm just getting cynical... :?

Hi again

 

This system has worked well for me so I'm sticking with it for now but will keep an eye for something better and more secure which again doesn't involve me keep giving passwords out time and again.

 

Hope you come up with something soon.

 

Keep us all posted.

 

BR

Trav

How many primary schools give all the pupils a unique password? All of our pupils have the same network logon password for this reason. They WILL forget it.

 

My understanding (which may be wrong) is that every primary school child has to have a unique username and password within the next year because of the forthcoming VLEs. That is certainly what we have been told by our LEA. We have always had one username and password per class. I am in the process of changing that because I've been asked to, and I'm certainly looking at the issue of password resets very closely now!

We've delegated AD control to certain trusted staff over the student OUs

a 50p donation to charity in order to have your password reset does the trick for us. I don't get more than 10 requests to reset a password a week ina school of 1300.

a 50p donation to charity in order to have your password reset does the trick for us. I don't get more than 10 requests to reset a password a week ina school of 1300.

 

we do exactly the same and we never get more than 5 or 6 requests a week.

Self Service Password Reset lets pupils reset their own password when they forget it and also has a web based interface to allow teachers and other staff to reset pupils passwords.

 

Ben

 

Where can I find this? I tried the link on your post, Ben, but I can't find anything there to download. I also tried the downloads section of Edugeek. Can find something called Self Service Reset, version 1.0. Don't think this is the right version and not sure if it is even the same program. Sorry - I'm obviously missing something.... Also, does it come with instructions for setting it up?

Will this get more and more complex in the medium term I wonder? Im wondering how people syncronise local accounts username / password with remote accounts (username / password) if there is e.g. local AD/email and LEA VLE? Anyone coming across the need to authorise access to remote resources (e.g. Premium content provider, secure access to school resources from home, etc. ) Anyone looking at a second way to secure accounts e.g. USB key. Anyone looking at account/settings transferability from school to school?

50p to change a forgotten password?

 

 

For god's sake dont tell our students - there will be a bl**dy riot if they find out that everywhere else isnt £1.50 and that they are not getting it cheap at £1...............