Glacial Hills Elementary School students have traded in their lucky pen and paper for a new handheld remote control.

The technological swap at GHES was unveiled on a mass scale this fall, and the new Senteo "clickers" has proven to be a popular way for students to interactively take tests, quizzes, survey's or play a game as a group.

"They're faces light up when we say go get the clickers," said GHES Second Grade Teacher Mary Giese who piloted the new program at GHES last spring.

Purchased through a school grant, the Senteo system works through the SMART Interactive Boards installed in each classroom at GHES. Students can log into the computer program by typing in an assigned number on a "clicker" or hand held transmitter. The clicker sends the information wirelessly to a laptop that operates both the SMART Board and Senteo testing program. Students then take a test by answering questions that are flashed on a white board in the front of the classroom by typing in answers on the clicker. Each clicker features a variety of letters, numbers, and other function buttons to help students quickly and effectively take each test.

Once a test is completed, each clicker shows students which questions were answered correctly and incorrectly and uploads all of the test information into a variety of graphs to show the teacher how students fared on the overall test, as well as each question. The test information can also be sent directly into a teachers grade book which can then update a students grade in the class with just the click of a button.

While the new system is a handy tool for teachers and a fun way to learn for students, Giese said the overall value of the Senteo system goes much further than testing or taking anonymous surveys, the new system can aid in teaching responsibility in the classroom. Giese said her students view the clickers as a privilege and a fun way to learn. She said the program is a way to bring some added fun to the classroom and allow students to take a sense of responsibility to ensure the continued use of the Senteo program.

One added bonus of using the new program to take the tests is the ability to cut down on the amount of paper GHES students use on a daily basis.

Unveiled on a mass scale at GHES this fall, the new Senteo system is currently used in second, third, fourth and sixth grade classrooms. Following the overall popularity of the program at the school, GHES Director Deb Mathias said the school has already ordered the Senteo system and clickers for the remaining classrooms at GHES.

Currently, Mathias said she is not aware of any other schools in the area that is currently using the new Senteo testing system on such a grand scale.