Day 1 - Hacking Passwords

Today was my first day at 21C/AICT.  Learned a lot.  Had a blast.  Here's my lesson idea for the day:

The Problem...

Evaluate and understand the effectiveness your password and develop a method for generating safe passwords

Why?

• Develop understanding of combinatorics
• Illustrate how combinatorics apply to students' lives
• Help students develop a plan to protect their online identity

You're Doing Passwords Wrong...

Last week, my bro sent me the link to an article about password security called You're Doing Passwords Wrong. Its about how ineffective the typical password is and how we can better protect ourselves.  According to this article, a good password is probably not what you would expect.  It goes into a little detail about the math behind hacking passwords (see this XKCD link for more on the math).  The first thing I thought of when I read the article is that there's a math assignment in this.  

Digital Citizenship...

A part of 21st Century Learning and something my supervisor and I were discussing today was Digital Citizenship and the responsible use of technology (and the importance of this in math and science classes).  Part of Digital Citizenship is protecting yourself online.  Password security allows students to explore concepts in math while providing them with a way of improving their online security.  It is also an opportunity to discuss the ethics of the computer hacking and virus industry, a Real-World Problem that has global implications.

Curriculum Connections...

The investigation can involve exploring and comparing the number of combinations of certain lengths of passwords and the processing speed of computers.  Estimates can be compared to results on http://howsecureismypassword.net (see below).  This would be great for a Grade 12 Data Management course or even as an entry point for combinations and permutations in younger grades. 

Screenshot from http://howsecureismypassword.net 

Turns out a password I used to use could be hacked by a desktop PC in less than 0.1 seconds.  Needless to say, that isn't my password anymore.

21C...

Students end up with a usable ICT product at the end of the investigation: an effective password (or method for creating an effective password).  There is also an opportunity to extend the project to a school or community level by having students raise awareness about password hacking and online security through multimedia (poster, infographic, video).  This is an opportunity for students to demonstrate Skilled Communication.

3. Real-World Problem Solving & Innovation: entry - adoption - adaptation - infusion - transformation
4. Skilled Communication: entry - adoption - adaptation - infusion - transformation
6. Use of ICT for Learning: entry - adoption - adaptation - infusion - transformation

To tech or not to tech...

A separate but noteworthy point that was brought up today is that 21st Century Learning shouldn't imply that you have to Use ICT in a lesson.  Different classrooms have different access to technology.  The tech is a means for supporting the learning in a 21st century classroom and should not necessarily be the focus as it won't always be available.  (My math instructor at OISE made a similar point last week when he was talking about using iPads in a class.  The apps are there to support the learning.  Start with what you want the students to learn and then see if there are any apps to support the goals.  Seems obvious but sometimes I get caught up in new apps that may be cool but won't necessarily contribute to effective learning).

Future lesson ideas:

•  Internet Security: Data encryption and prime numbers