Mass Generated K2 Log In Cards: An ITRT Recipe

Conditional Formatting + Colored Tape + AutoCrat = Easy Logging in for K2 Students

Younger students can have difficulty logging in to computers, especially if they don't have prior experience with computers. By using a modified version of Christine Pinto's template, you can create a bunch of cards at one time.

Ingredients:

• Excel (must be Excel) Spreadsheet of student usernames and passwords
• Autocrat Template (force copy available at the link)
• 'To Merge' Template (force copy available at the link)
• CombineSheets Sheets Add On

Skill Level/Time required:

• Intermediate
• 30 minutes

Procedure:

1. Be sure that usernames and passwords are on two different sheets within your Excel spreadsheet.
2. On your usernames tab, navigate to Data --> Text to Columns.
3. Choose Fixed Width --> Next.
4. Click between each character to draw a line. Hit Finish.
5. Repeat this on the passwords tab.
6. On 'To Merge' Template, input students' first and last names.
7. From your Excel sheet, copy character-separated usernames and paste them into the Google Sheet in the cells entitled "un1 to un19". Repeat this for passwords in the cells "pw1-pw5." Add or subtract cells as needed, and be sure to update any changes on your Autocrat template. 
8. Install/run AutoCrat in your 'To Merge' Template. For explicit directions on AutoCrat, click here for an overview or watch the video directions below. 
9. Open one of the newly-minted sheets. Install/run the CombineSheets add on. Combine all of the Sheets you just created.
10. Open the same Sheet from step nine. Click the down arrow on the tab and choose 'Copy to...' the new Sheet you created in step 9.
11. Use the format painter to 'grab' the format from the new tab. Apply it to the entire sheet. 
12. Format as necessary.
13. Print and (laminate, if desired). 

Implementing with your students:

1. Color code your keys according to the directions in Christine Pinto's original blog post. 
• The numbers are red taped, the QWERTY row is yellow, the ASDFG is green, and the ZXCV row is purple (or pink if your color printer went rogue like mine!)
2. Show your students how the colors on their cards correspond to the keys on the keyboard. 
3. Marvel in their success! 

Video directions: