Call me old-fashioned.
I like the smell of newsprint and the rustling of a physical paper. Give me a plain, old book any day, too. Kindle doesn't cut it.
But digitization has its perks, especially in the classroom where online textbooks have increasingly replaced bulky — and costly — physical copies.
Publishers can update them more frequently without having to crank out new print editions every year. Students save some room in their lockers and lose a couple of pounds from their backpack. And they're easily accessed on laptops and tablets.
Some Lincoln Public Schools students, however, may have discovered they couldn't access their online textbooks when jumping on their computers to study over the holiday break. Remember, some first semester finals were pushed to the new year because of last month's winter storm.
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Only students wrapping up a first semester class would have been affected because of the way online textbook licensing works, said LPS Chief Technology Officer Kirk Langer.
LPS signs up for the exact number of online textbook licenses they'll need based on class rosters. When the semester ends, those licenses are terminated and new ones granted to second semester students.
Normally, that's not an issue.
Then came that December storm that led LPS officials to cancel the last two days of classes and high school principals to push any unfinished final exams to the new year.
Luckily for students, the tests will only count if the score improves their first semester grade, whether that test was taken last month as scheduled or after classes resumed this week. Those content with their current grade who missed a final were not required to take it.
High schools are running on a modified schedule this week to fit all the tests in. The second semester began Wednesday.
The textbook question was part of the calculus when deciding to cancel school and disrupt finals last month, said Matt Larson, LPS associate superintendent of instruction.
"It's one of those unintended consequences of moving from print to a digital text," he said.Â
Students without access to textbooks still could use other course materials on Google Classroom as study aids, and LPS officials said they haven't heard from families who were looking to access the textbooks.
"We have received no feedback that it was an issue," Larson said.
LPS still uses some print textbooks, but publishers are moving toward providing solely digital copies. Not only does it cut back on publishers' development and shipping costs, it's more efficient for schools, too.
"One of the upsides of digitizing things is you can be much tighter with how many copies of the book you need," Langer said. "You don't have to have so many on the shelf."
Dawes named finalist
Dawes Middle School is one of five Nebraska schools recently named a finalist in Samsung's national Solve for Tomorrow competition that challenges students to explore how STEM can address some of the world's biggest issues.
There are 300 schools nationally that made the cut in the 13th annual competition in which students in grades 6-12 submit ideas on how to use science, technology, engineering and math to tackle a wide range of issues — from the geopolitical crisis in Ukraine to climate change and school safety.
Finalists received $2,500 in technology and school supplies.
Teachers and students from each school that advanced will now be asked to draft lesson plans detailing how their proposed STEM project will address an identified community issue.
Fifty state winners will be picked in February and will receive an additional $20,000 in supplies, as well as a video kit to document their project in action. Three national winners will be picked in May and will receive a $100,000 prize package.
In addition to Dawes, schools from Broken Bow, Gering, Ogallala and Omaha also advanced.
Shining new light on students
Behind every student, there's a story.
That's the premise of "The Seat Beside You," a new documentary video series from LPS that aims to shine a light on the stories of Lincoln students.
The latest video in the series follows Tommy Juarez Alvarez, a student in LPS' Independence Academy, a program that provides those with disabilities with relevant life and career experiences in businesses and other settings.
Juarez Alvarez and his peers helped set up lights for the Lincoln Children Zoo's annual "Zoo Lights" event.
The moving eight-minute video — produced by Brian Seifferlein and David Koehn — is worth a watch. You can check it out at .
Quick hits
*ÌýThursday was the first day candidates for the Lincoln Board of Education could file for city elections in the spring.Â
No one was immediately listed on the Lancaster County Election Commissioner's website.
District 2 incumbent Connie Duncan has already said she won't seek reelection. Instead, Duncan is backing Piyush Srivastav, a Lincoln businessman who intends to run for her seat.
Annie Mumgaard in District 4 and Bob Rauner in District 6 are also up for election. Incumbents have until Feb. 15 to file.
* Renee Jones, an English teacher at Lincoln High School, begins her tenure as the 2023 Nebraska teacher of the year this month. Jones succeeds Lee Perez, an English language learner educator from Omaha, and will give her first update to the Nebraska State Board of Education on Friday.
* Catholic schools in Lincoln are asked to say a rosary for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Bishop James Conley of Lincoln asked schools to do so following the late pontiff's death last week.
Zach Hammack's memorable stories from 2022
A "crisis" in mental health care. A new superintendent. A crash that shattered a city. Here are K-12 education reporter Zach Hammack's most memorable stories from 2022.
He wanted to be a rock-start drummer, but new LPS Superintendent Paul Gausman found out that education was his real jam.
Nebraska has reached a "cultural crisis point" in mental health availability as long waitlists and a shortage in providers persisted in 2022.
Breaking news reporter Andrew Wegley and I wrote a series of profiles about the six victims of the Oct. 2 car crash near 56th and Randolph streets.
Members of the 98th Field Maintenance Squadron's engine shop have met annually for reunions. But 2022 may have been their last ride.
LPS Superintendent Steve Joel closed the book on a 40-plus career in education that included stops in Kansas, Beatrice and Grand Island.