FAQ - Gradekeeper for Android
These Frequently Asked Questions are intended to help you get started with using Gradekeeper for Android. For a more complete introduction, you can download the User's Guide.
How can I link to my Dropbox?
In Gradekeeper for Android, tap the Dropbox icon on the upper right in the files view. You will be asked to enter your Dropbox email address and password to allow Gradekeeper to access its folder in your Dropbox.
Once you have linked to your Dropbox, the files view will show the classes in the Gradekeeper folder in the Apps folder in your Dropbox. Save your classes to that folder, and you will be able to open them from Gradekeeper. Note that you cannot open Gradekeeper classes from the Dropbox app. You must open them from Gradekeeper.
Why is one of my Dropbox classes a conflicted copy?
Gradekeeper cannot merge changes made to the same class from different places at the same time. If you open the same class from different places and save it, Dropbox will notice and make a "conflicted copy" of the class. You will need to open both copies and decide which one you want to keep, or manually merge difference changes.
If you did not have the class open on another device, your phone may be having problems with its wifi connection. Try restarting the phone. Allow the phone to complete the shut down process. Then start it up again by holding the sleep button.
Why don't my classes appear in the file list in Gradekeeper?
Gradekeeper will only list files using the .grk file extension. Gradekeeper adds that extension automatically. Gradekeeper can only open classes saved with the current version of Gradekeeper. If you already paid for the desktop application, you can download and install the current version of the desktop app at no additional cost. Just download and save. The desktop version of Gradekeeper can open files saved by older versions, so you will not need to start over.
How can I delete a class?
In Gradekeeper, from the Files view, press and hold on the row for the class you want to delete. Confirm that you really do want to delete this class. Please be careful! You cannot undo deleting a class, and there is no other way to recover a deleted class that was saved on your phone.
How can I recover a deleted class?
If the class was saved in your Dropbox, you can restore it. Using a web browser, visit Dropbox and sign in. Open the Apps folder and then the Gradekeeper folder. Click the three dots above the file list next to the upload button. Find the deleted file in the list and click the three dots to the right of the file name. Choose Restore from the menu that appears.
If you are saving your classes on your phone, you can protect yourself by enabling automatic backups. In Android settings, scroll down to Backup & reset. Enabled the Back up my data option and the Automatic restore option. This will do periodic backups of your entire phone to Google Drive, allowing you to restore everything should anything happen to your phone.
This is not a good way to recover a single deleted class, since it would require a reset of your entire phone.
How do I save my changes?
There is no save command in Gradekeeper. The app will save your changes whenever the app is moved to the background. The app will also save your changes any time you return to the files view.
How do I create a new class?
You can create a new class by tapping the + button in the files view. The new class window will appear. Enter a filename, subject name, school name, and teacher name for the new class. Then tap the Done button. You will then see the students view, where you can add students to your new class.
You can also create a new class by importing a list of students from a text or csv file. To import students, copy the text or csv file to your Dropbox. Put the file inside the Gradekeeper folder inside the Apps folder. It will appear in the file list. Tap the file to create a new class with those students.
Each line of the text file should have an ID (which can be blank) and a student name, separated by a tab. For example:
1234 <tab> Albright, Amy
Each line of the csv file should have an optional ID and a student name in quotes. For example:
"1234","Albright, Amy"
Note that the student name is a single item. Do not separate the first and last name with a tab.
How can I create several classes with the same students?
There are two ways to do this.
In Gradekeeper, you can copy the current open class. Tap the Setup tab on the bottom, then tap the Subject button. Tap the copy button in the subject window. You will be asked for a new filename for the copy of this class. The currently open class will be saved and a new class will be created that is a copy of the that class.
You can also use the text import feature to make classes with the same students. Create a text file with a list of your students. Copy that text file to your Dropbox. Open the text file from the classes view. This creates a new class with those students. Repeat this process for each additional class you want.
Can I use a third party keyboard with Gradekeeper?
Yes. Apps have no way of knowing whether you are using the default keyboard or a third party keyboard. They just get the text you type. So any third party keyboard should work with any app, including Gradekeeper.
If you are using a third party keyboard, and it is not behaving properly, the problem is almost certainly with the keyboard, not with the app you are using. Contact the developer of the third party keyboard.
Do I have to buy the desktop application to use the Android application?
No. You can create and edit classes with just the Android app. The desktop application does make some things easier, and there are a few things you can do with the desktop application that you cannot do with the Android app, like print and email reports for an entire class. Future updates to the Android app may add some of those features as I receive feedback from users.
How can I email a student progress report?
In the students view, tap the student grade to show the categories summary window. Then tap the email button at the bottom. You will be asked to choose an email app to use. That app will be opened with the progress report as an attachment. You can add additional comments in the body of the email.
You can only email progress reports for one student at a time.
How can I print a student progress report?
In the students view, tap the student grade to show the categories summary window. Then tap the print button at the bottom. Your web browser will open with the html progress report showing. You can then print from your web browser.
You can only print progress reports for one student at at time.
How can I see other students, assignments, or dates?
In the students or assignments view, tap the name at the top to see a list of students or assignments. You can choose the student or assignment you want.
In the attendance view, tap the date to choose another date. Only the days of the week that class is in session are displayed.
How can I edit students or assignments?
Tap the pencil button on the upper right to edit the current student or assignment. The editing window will appear. Tap the Done button when you're done.
You can add a new student or assignment by tapping the + button on the upper left. The new student or new assignment window will appear. When adding a new student, you can tap the Next button to save the current student and add another new student.
How can I edit a score?
Tap the row for the score you want to edit. The score will be outlined. You can type in a new score. You can fill down that score to all following scores by tapping the Fill Down button on the upper right. You can add a footnote to the score by pressing and holding the row for that assignment.
How can I take attendance?
Tap the row for a student and choose an attendance code from the dialog that appears.
If you need to change attendance for an earlier date, tap the date at the top and choose a new date.
You can also take attendance from the seating chart. Tapping a student will show a dialog where you can choose an attendance code for that student. You can only take attendance from the seating chart for the current date.
How can I make a new seating chart?
Tap the Assign Seats button to show the assign seats window. Enter the number of rows and columns if they are different than what is displayed. Tap the Done button. Seats will be assigned randomly.
If you want to make minor adjustments to the seating chart you can move individual students. Tap and hold on the student you want to move until the seat changes color, then tap the seat you want to move the student to. Those two seats will be swapped.
Tap and hold on an open seat to choose to make that seat hidden or unavailable.
How can I add or remove an assignment category?
Tap the Setup tab at the bottom, then tap the Categories button. You will see a list of categories. You can edit existing categories or weights or add a new category. Tap the Drop 0 field to choose how many worst scores to drop from that category.
You can choose how grades are computed by tapping one of the options above the list of categories. The default is total points earned. This method totals points earned and points possible and divides to get a percent. You can choose to compute grades using category weights. This method does a weighted average of the percent correct within each category.
How can I set up my own letter grades and percents?
Tap the Setup tab at the bottom, then tap the Letter Grades button.
You can edit the letter grades and the minimum percent required to earn that grade. You can also choose to display both percents and letter grades, only percents, or only letter grades.
How can I set up my school year?
Tap the Setup tab at the bottom, then tap the School Year button. You will see a list of terms in your school year and their current starting and finishing dates. You can edit the names of each term. Tap a date to edit that date.
To change the number of terms in the school year, tap the button showing the number of terms in the school year.
These Frequently Asked Questions are intended to help you get started with using Gradekeeper for Android. For a more complete introduction, you can download the User's Guide.
How can I link to my Dropbox?
In Gradekeeper for Android, tap the Dropbox icon on the upper right in the files view. You will be asked to enter your Dropbox email address and password to allow Gradekeeper to access its folder in your Dropbox.
Once you have linked to your Dropbox, the files view will show the classes in the Gradekeeper folder in the Apps folder in your Dropbox. Save your classes to that folder, and you will be able to open them from Gradekeeper. Note that you cannot open Gradekeeper classes from the Dropbox app. You must open them from Gradekeeper.
Why is one of my Dropbox classes a conflicted copy?
Gradekeeper cannot merge changes made to the same class from different places at the same time. If you open the same class from different places and save it, Dropbox will notice and make a "conflicted copy" of the class. You will need to open both copies and decide which one you want to keep, or manually merge difference changes.
If you did not have the class open on another device, your phone may be having problems with its wifi connection. Try restarting the phone. Allow the phone to complete the shut down process. Then start it up again by holding the sleep button.
Why don't my classes appear in the file list in Gradekeeper?
Gradekeeper will only list files using the .grk file extension. Gradekeeper adds that extension automatically. Gradekeeper can only open classes saved with the current version of Gradekeeper. If you already paid for the desktop application, you can download and install the current version of the desktop app at no additional cost. Just download and save. The desktop version of Gradekeeper can open files saved by older versions, so you will not need to start over.
How can I delete a class?
In Gradekeeper, from the Files view, press and hold on the row for the class you want to delete. Confirm that you really do want to delete this class. Please be careful! You cannot undo deleting a class, and there is no other way to recover a deleted class that was saved on your phone.
How can I recover a deleted class?
If the class was saved in your Dropbox, you can restore it. Using a web browser, visit Dropbox and sign in. Open the Apps folder and then the Gradekeeper folder. Click the three dots above the file list next to the upload button. Find the deleted file in the list and click the three dots to the right of the file name. Choose Restore from the menu that appears.
If you are saving your classes on your phone, you can protect yourself by enabling automatic backups. In Android settings, scroll down to Backup & reset. Enabled the Back up my data option and the Automatic restore option. This will do periodic backups of your entire phone to Google Drive, allowing you to restore everything should anything happen to your phone.
This is not a good way to recover a single deleted class, since it would require a reset of your entire phone.
How do I save my changes?
There is no save command in Gradekeeper. The app will save your changes whenever the app is moved to the background. The app will also save your changes any time you return to the files view.
How do I create a new class?
You can create a new class by tapping the + button in the files view. The new class window will appear. Enter a filename, subject name, school name, and teacher name for the new class. Then tap the Done button. You will then see the students view, where you can add students to your new class.
You can also create a new class by importing a list of students from a text or csv file. To import students, copy the text or csv file to your Dropbox. Put the file inside the Gradekeeper folder inside the Apps folder. It will appear in the file list. Tap the file to create a new class with those students.
Each line of the text file should have an ID (which can be blank) and a student name, separated by a tab. For example:
1234 <tab> Albright, Amy
Each line of the csv file should have an optional ID and a student name in quotes. For example:
"1234","Albright, Amy"
Note that the student name is a single item. Do not separate the first and last name with a tab.
How can I create several classes with the same students?
There are two ways to do this.
In Gradekeeper, you can copy the current open class. Tap the Setup tab on the bottom, then tap the Subject button. Tap the copy button in the subject window. You will be asked for a new filename for the copy of this class. The currently open class will be saved and a new class will be created that is a copy of the that class.
You can also use the text import feature to make classes with the same students. Create a text file with a list of your students. Copy that text file to your Dropbox. Open the text file from the classes view. This creates a new class with those students. Repeat this process for each additional class you want.
Can I use a third party keyboard with Gradekeeper?
Yes. Apps have no way of knowing whether you are using the default keyboard or a third party keyboard. They just get the text you type. So any third party keyboard should work with any app, including Gradekeeper.
If you are using a third party keyboard, and it is not behaving properly, the problem is almost certainly with the keyboard, not with the app you are using. Contact the developer of the third party keyboard.
Do I have to buy the desktop application to use the Android application?
No. You can create and edit classes with just the Android app. The desktop application does make some things easier, and there are a few things you can do with the desktop application that you cannot do with the Android app, like print and email reports for an entire class. Future updates to the Android app may add some of those features as I receive feedback from users.
How can I email a student progress report?
In the students view, tap the student grade to show the categories summary window. Then tap the email button at the bottom. You will be asked to choose an email app to use. That app will be opened with the progress report as an attachment. You can add additional comments in the body of the email.
You can only email progress reports for one student at a time.
How can I print a student progress report?
In the students view, tap the student grade to show the categories summary window. Then tap the print button at the bottom. Your web browser will open with the html progress report showing. You can then print from your web browser.
You can only print progress reports for one student at at time.
How can I see other students, assignments, or dates?
In the students or assignments view, tap the name at the top to see a list of students or assignments. You can choose the student or assignment you want.
In the attendance view, tap the date to choose another date. Only the days of the week that class is in session are displayed.
How can I edit students or assignments?
Tap the pencil button on the upper right to edit the current student or assignment. The editing window will appear. Tap the Done button when you're done.
You can add a new student or assignment by tapping the + button on the upper left. The new student or new assignment window will appear. When adding a new student, you can tap the Next button to save the current student and add another new student.
How can I edit a score?
Tap the row for the score you want to edit. The score will be outlined. You can type in a new score. You can fill down that score to all following scores by tapping the Fill Down button on the upper right. You can add a footnote to the score by pressing and holding the row for that assignment.
How can I take attendance?
Tap the row for a student and choose an attendance code from the dialog that appears.
If you need to change attendance for an earlier date, tap the date at the top and choose a new date.
You can also take attendance from the seating chart. Tapping a student will show a dialog where you can choose an attendance code for that student. You can only take attendance from the seating chart for the current date.
How can I make a new seating chart?
Tap the Assign Seats button to show the assign seats window. Enter the number of rows and columns if they are different than what is displayed. Tap the Done button. Seats will be assigned randomly.
If you want to make minor adjustments to the seating chart you can move individual students. Tap and hold on the student you want to move until the seat changes color, then tap the seat you want to move the student to. Those two seats will be swapped.
Tap and hold on an open seat to choose to make that seat hidden or unavailable.
How can I add or remove an assignment category?
Tap the Setup tab at the bottom, then tap the Categories button. You will see a list of categories. You can edit existing categories or weights or add a new category. Tap the Drop 0 field to choose how many worst scores to drop from that category.
You can choose how grades are computed by tapping one of the options above the list of categories. The default is total points earned. This method totals points earned and points possible and divides to get a percent. You can choose to compute grades using category weights. This method does a weighted average of the percent correct within each category.
How can I set up my own letter grades and percents?
Tap the Setup tab at the bottom, then tap the Letter Grades button.
You can edit the letter grades and the minimum percent required to earn that grade. You can also choose to display both percents and letter grades, only percents, or only letter grades.
How can I set up my school year?
Tap the Setup tab at the bottom, then tap the School Year button. You will see a list of terms in your school year and their current starting and finishing dates. You can edit the names of each term. Tap a date to edit that date.
To change the number of terms in the school year, tap the button showing the number of terms in the school year.