Overview
The JLS Homework Utility / JLS Scheduler is a tool that automates the creation of useful handouts for JLS LS-level classes. You input class and student information (including Korean names, which can be parsed from lpt.gojls excel files), and you get these printable (.DOCX, .DOC, .PDF, .XLS, .HTML, or .ODT) files:
- A class syllabus, student list, and homework tracker for yourself
- A homework list for the class' KT
- Personalized homework sheets for each student, with...
- A syllabus for Mom and Dad, complete with Korean introduction
The tool allows for saving and loading of specialty .JLSC files to save class data to work on later, or send to other teachers. It allows for the addition of custom classes, automatically detects Korean national holidays and JLS breaks and adjusts the homework schedule to account for them, and allows for any amount and configuration of singular and repeating homework assignments.
Please note
This tool, while developed with older systems in mind, will just not be able to run on really old OSes. This being Korea, some of the machines here (in my branch, at least) run 14-year-old operating systems. If you do get this program to run on one of these, I can't guarantee everything will work. The recommended specifications are:
- Windows 7 or 8
- Microsoft Word 2013 (if you want to export to formats other than .DOCX)
Exporting to .DOC (not .DOCX) files will still require MS Word to be installed on the system, but any version should be okay.
I have no idea what minimum specifications are. If you can get it to run, you're probably good to produce at least .DOCXes.
How-to
Main screen
Start JLSHomeworkUtility.exe, and you'll see the following:
Fill out these fields (they should be self-explanatory)
The utility will use the settings you select here to build class information. Adding students will generate a individualized syllabus, homework sheet, and parent handout for each student added. Students' Korean names can be imported from lpt.gojls excel files.
Options:
The Speaking Tree toggles auto-generate common speaking tree homework tasks, and add them to each week's homework list. The Custom field will add whatever is in its text box as a weekly task. If you need more custom tasks, or finer control on when they repeat, click the edit custom homework button in the lower right.
The Presentations, if toggled, will override the homework the week before, and replace it with "prepare presentation". The homework that was originally due on that week will be moved one week up, consistent with recommended workloads.
In other words, enabling the week 4 presentation will push the Unit 4 class day (and the relevant homework assignments) to the 5th week. Custom homework will still occur on these days.
Finally, the Review toggle will pad the last classes, if the semester includes them, with review days.
Edit Custom Homework
The Edit Custom Homework dialog allows for greater flexibility in planning semester homework. Click Add New to add a new homework task to the list, and select it to edit it. The Title will appear on homework sheets and checklists, and the Title and Body will appear on syllabuses.
The Due on week # field determines the due date of the first instance of this homework tasks, and the Repeats every checkbox adds this homework task once per the value set in the weeks box.
This dialog does not automatically update its contents, so be sure to save edited homework tasks before closing
Edit Custom Holidays
This dialog is fairly straightforward. Click days to mark them as holidays (no class, homework will not be assigned or due), and click again to unmark them. Dates in bold are marked holidays. A list of all custom marked holidays is under the Custom Holidays tab, and all national and JLS holidays are under the All Holidays tab.
This dialog does automatically update its contents, so simply click OK when finished.
Preview Schedule
This button will generate a simple text schedule of the semester. Double-check it to ensure that all settings and homework due dates are correct before exporting files.
Export
The utility's ultimate objective is to produce well-formatted .DOCX (Microsoft Word 2007 or later) files. It should do this pretty much no problem, regardless of whether or not the system has MS Word actually installed. Just hit Export as .DOCX and select the destination folder.
If word is installed, the Export as .DOC should work without issue.
If Word v15 (Microsoft Office 2013) is installed, any of the experimental output functions should work. I'm currently working on getting these running without the need for a MS Word installation.
In every case, on exporting, the utility will create a folder at the destination titled in the following way:
In that folder will be three documents, named similarly but with a prepended NT, KT or STUDENTS
- The NT file contains a class syllabus, as well as a checklist for each student, containing every homework assignment due for the class, making homework completion tracking very simple.
- The KT file contains only a class syllabus - something you can give to the class' KT so they can update the due homework online, if necessary.
- The STUDENTS file contains the following three pages, customized for every student in the class:
- A class syllabus
- A homework sheet with assignment and due dates, as well as spaces for parent and teacher signatures
- A syllabus with a Korean header, to be brought home so Mom and Dad can stay abreast of their child's JLS work.
Saving and Loading
Exported documents are saved automatically on creation and require no additional input. Class data, on the other hand, can be saved through File -> Save Class Data or the keyboard shortcut CTRL + S.
This creates a .JLSC file at the chosen location. These files can be loaded through File -> Load Class Data - > Load .JLSC File and edited or exported at a later date.
.JLSC files are able to be read by the JLS Homework Utility installed on any system. However, if the utility JSON files are edited, .JLSC files created by other copies of the program may not be able to be read, and vice-versa
Examples
An example class file and output can be found in the GitHub repository.
Loading Korean Name Data from http://lp.gojls.com/
Log in to the JLS Teacher LP Site.
Select Class -> Class Related from the navigation menu on the left:
From there, select the class you'd like to import names from (1), and click the last tab, labeled "내신관러" (2). From this tab, click the "Excel"/"엑셀" (3) button:
Click "Yes"/"예" from the window that pops up
Select the download folder, and click "Ok" on the next popup.
Now, open the JLS Homework Utility. From the File menu, Select Load Class -> Load from lpt.gojls .XLS file. Navigate to where you saved the downloaded file, and select that file. It should have a numeric filename comprised of the year, month, day, and time of the download (something like 2015041519320755.xls / YYYYMMDDHHMMSS###.xls)
If the file is correctly formatted, it will load a list of Korean names into the student list. From here you can manually edit the student list to include the students' English names.
Please note that it is not necessary to include Korean names. The utility will produce correct output with only English names.
Bugs
Right now, the program does not handle malformed data well, and in most cases will just crash. This isn't really helpful, so this is being worked on.
That said, if you find a bug, please click here and report it!. You can also reach this report form by clicking HELP -> Report Bug in the file menu.
If you find a bug and report it, then find me (Songpa branch) and I will buy you a beer.