electronic gradebooks / student resonse systems

The upper grade teachers at my school use electronic grade books. They all marvel at the accuracy and at how easy it is to enter grades, get a quick average, make print outs for parents and to use as a report for BBST or other needs. All of this seems really good, but so much of my grading happens at home late at night. I am not always energetic enough to then trudge upstairs to enter grades, and it is next to impossible to find time at school to do it. (What ever happened to having a planning period?) Sometimes the ease of entering grades into my grade book is appealing - I can do it at home, at school, outside on the porch on a nice day.
All that said, it is my goal to begin to use an electronic gradebook. STI provides one that other teachers use and like. I asked them if they worried about having a back up or what they would do if the system crashed and they did not seem to think that was anymore of an issue than losing the traditonal grade book (how true!). I had already entered the data I needed to begin to use this system with the beginning of the new marking period in March when my principal suggested to me that I begin next year so that I would have a consistent record for the current school year! I wonder if she knew that I had felt like I was really blazing a technology trail - I am always hesitant to begin something new, but after reading Chapter 5, I decided now was the time to take a step. So, tabled for now, but definitely something I will do in the future.
I LOVE the idea of the H-ITT student response system and have written it into my lesson plans to try in the computer lab with my students. This will give me a clear understanding of their comprehension.