By Danesa Jepson
Seventh-Grade Language Arts Teacher
Oakdale Junior High School
Oakdale, California

I love the SMART Response interactive response system. I cannot say enough about the product and software. Since I have been using the SMART Response system (starting back in the days when it was called Senteo), it has saved me both time and headaches.

I must admit, when I first began using the SMART Response system in 2008, I used it for the sole purpose of summative assessment. I already had all my tests and quizzes in Microsoft Word, so they were incredibly easy to import and use immediately. I loved (and still do!) the instant feedback my students received. I loved the time I saved on waiting to see scores and planning my next steps. And I could re-teach right then and there! Virtually no time wasted!

But then I began to wonder…could the SMART Response system be more? Turns out, yes! A resounding “Yes!” The SMART Response system is more! So much more!

How I use SMART Response

I now use the SMART Response system throughout my lessons. I use it for responding to prior knowledge questions. I use it to check for understanding (constantly!). I use instant questions in the tool bar when I feel I need to check in with my students or if I come up with a question in my lesson on the spur of the moment. My  Titanic lesson activity on the SMART Exchange website is a great example of how I combine SMART Response question sets with my lessons.

I also use the SMART Response system for a game we call “fastest fingers,” where the student who answers a question first is sent up to the SMART Board interactive whiteboard to begin an activity. I use the system to take surveys and polls on what novel our class should read next, for agreeing or disagreeing with students’ answers for debates. The possibilities are truly endless!

Classroom results

The SMART Response system has helped me “check in” with the progress of my students, changed my teaching, and has improved overall grades and test scores. In addition to all of that, my students love using the SMART Response system. They love the engagement, seeing how they are doing and having their own “competition” with other students.

The SMART Response system has been a true blessing to my teaching and classroom.

Find more

You can find more of Danesa’s lesson activities and question sets on the SMART Exchange website.