Tax Credits For Textbooks

Posted by Kenneth Ronkowitz on

As we near the deadline for filing federal income taxes, remind students that textbooks and course materials are eligible for a tax credit.

To learn more about this option as well as how to claim the tax credit, review the IRS instructions posted online at www.textbookaid.org

The tax credit allows students who pay taxes to receive back 40% of their textbook costs.

Of course, open textbooks are a much better deal! The costs for digital textbooks are nearly zero for students with computers and internet access. The cost of bound open textbooks is less than 25% of the cost of comparable commercial textbooks. Students can also claim tax credits on the small price of open textbooks.

Have you checked recently the open textbooks available in your discipline? The supply and quality grows constantly. See collegeopentextbooks.org/opentextbookcontent/open-textbooks-by-subject.html


Here Comes Santa Claus

Posted by Kenneth Ronkowitz on

It has become a Serendipity35 tradition to track Santa's incredible journey on Christmas Eve. Of course, we use technology to do that.



The "NORAD Tracks Santa" web site is part public relations and part educational and part just fun.



Of course, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is serious business, but for more than 50 years they have been giving press releases about detecting Santa's sleigh and reindeer using their tracking systems as he leaves the North Pole.



I remember those reports as a kid being tagged onto the end of the evening news. The past few years, people are more likely to check on Santa online, so NORAD has added Google Earth to display the trip in 3D.



Santa’s elves have been busier than usual this year preparing. Visit Santa’s Village to see what’s been going on, and join in on the fun!



You can track Santa at www.noradsanta.org

 






The real NORAD site is at http://www.norad.mil. The North American Aerospace Defense Command is a bi-national United States and Canadian organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America.