Schoolhouse Crew Review~Zane Education

We've been using Zane Education for the past few months at our house.  What is Zane Education?  It is the world's largest and most comprehensive library of fully subtitled educational videos currently available online. Zane offers over 1500 curriculum-based online educational videos for 11 different subjects and 260+ curriculum topics.  These videos are for grades K-12, and I can see adults learning a lot from many of the videos as well!  Zane Education videos are perfect for the visual learner, and can be used by schools and home educators for all students, including special needs, ESL, and gifted.  Subjects available are:

*Art
*Biology
*Geography
*Health
*History
*Library Skills
*Literature
*Music
*Religious Studies
*Science
*Social Studies

Zane Education does not just offer videos.  They have an online quiz database of over 23,000 curriculum-based multiple choice questions, lesson plans, and a Study Center  full of resources. Zane Education is aligned to state and national standards.

Research has shown that there is a powerful link between the use of subtitles on video to improve children's reading and literacy skills. It makes sense-with a struggling reader, I have seen that watching the words on screen along with the video is very helpful.  Zane education calls this use of subtitles and closed captioning as 'The Missing Piece'.

There are a variety of pricing and membership options.  The options are:
Basic membership: Free
Topic Taster membership: $5/month
Bronze Membership (all videos in a subject): $8.99/month or $98.89/year
Silver Membership (all videos for an age/grade): $12.99/month or $142.89/year
Gold Membership (access to everything): $17.99/month or $197.89/year
*Through August 31, use the code ZE855HSM  to get a 35% discount on any annual Gold, Silver, or Bronze membership subscription!

We've had a very positive experience with Zane Education.  Chad has enjoyed the videos, and I have a great example of how helpful they can be:  Here in Utah, July 24th is Pioneer Day, the day our state celebrates the Mormon pioneers arriving here. We have lived here 8 years and only know the very basics of the history.  Our daughter Alyssa was a dancer in a production depicting the pioneers travels, and before we left to watch the production I had Chad watch a few videos on pioneers and the Mormon migration. It was helpful for him-during the pageant he was pointing out things that were similar to what he had watched, and I think he enjoyed it more.

Negatives for our home were that videos can be from a secular standpiont (e.g evolution instead of creation), and I would have liked to be able to enlarge the videos to full screen. There is a 424-page Christian Home Learning Guide (reg priced $49.95) that is yours free with an annual subscription.

There is SO MUCH information Zane offers. To make the most of your experience, I suggest downloading their various 'Getting Started' and User Guides. To learn more about the Zane education philosophy, click on their Learn about Us page.  They also have an FAQ page to answer your questions, and be sure to visit/like them on Facebook.  To read more crew reviews of Zane Education, click on this button:

*Disclaimer: I recieved a Gold Membership to Zane Education in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

WINNERS!!!! Purex Coupon Giveaway!

The three winners of the Purex Lets Be Honest campaign giveaway, chosen by random.org are:

*Alycia
*janetfaye
*Candace M.

Congratulations!   I've sent you an email with instructions.  Thanks everyone for entering!!

Book Review and contest~Inescapable by Nancy Mehl

Inescapable was a real page turner-I couldn't put it down! I had never read one of Nancy Mehl's books, and now I am hooked! Inescapable is the first in the Road to Kingdom series. It is full of mystery, combined with the Amish and Mennonite lifestyle. Lizzie Engel is torn between two worlds, and will do anything to keep her daughter safe. Estranged from her parents, she must return to her home town of Kingdom, Kansas, where she believes everyone is against her. She must also learn to trust in God. This book is a new favorite of mine!


About the Book:


Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, Kingdom, Kansas, with plans never to return.


But five years later, the new life she built is falling apart. Lizzie knows she's being followed, and she's certain the same mysterious stranger is behind the threatening letters she's received. Realizing she'll have to run again, the only escape Lizzie can manage is a return to the last place she wants to go.


Once she arrives in Kingdom, Lizzie is confident she'll be safe until she comes up with a new plan. In reacquainting herself with the town and its people--especially her old friend, Noah Housler--she wonders if she judged her hometown and her Mennonite faith too harshly. However, just as she begins to come to terms with her roots, Lizzie is horrified to discover the danger she ran from is closer than ever.

No longer sure who to trust and fearful for her life and the lives of those around her, Lizzie finds she has only one place left to run--to the Father whose love is inescapable.


 

About Author Nancy Mehl:

Nancy Mehl, the author of 12 books, received an ACFW Carol Award in 2009 for her novel For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson. Visit her website at http://www.nancymehl.com/.

Click to purchase Inescapable!

 Win a Handmade Mennonite Quilt from @NancyMehl! RSVP for her INESCAPABLE Facebook Party 7/26! Celebrate with Nancy by entering her "Inescapable" Giveaway and connecting with her during the Author Chat Party on 7/26!

Find out what readers are saying here.

One winner will receive: A Handmade Mennonite Quilt A copy of Inescapable by Nancy Mehl Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 25th. Winner will be announced at the "Inescapable" Author Chat Facebook Party on 7/26. Nancy will be hosting a book chat, testing your trivia skills (how much do you know about the Mennonites?) and giving away some great prizes!

So grab your copy of Inescapable and join Nancy on the evening of the July 26th for a chance to connect with Nancy and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 26th!

*Disclaimer: I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Schoolhouse Crew Review~Christian Keyboarding

Let's face it-in our world today, it is necessary for our children to learn keyboarding!  Sure, my son at age 9 is great with the mouse, and can 'hunt and peck' words when he needs to.  But that is not enough, and the sooner he learns to type on a computer keyboard proficiently, the better!  Keyboarding for the Christian School is an award-winning e-book created by Leanne Beitel that Chad and I had the opportunity to review.

We have tried a few keyboarding programs in the past-they were okay.  They were full of flashy games-that is not what you will get here, and I like that.  We used the elementary version for grades k-5.  There is also a version available for grades 6 and up.  There were 32 lessons, nice and short and to the point, and each lesson built on the last.  It was just enough work for Chad to do without getting bored or frustrated.  I must admit-my son likes all the flashy games, so I wasn't sure how he would do with this program, but he did great!  He was very proud of his accomplishments learning the keyboard!

I loved that scripture is part of this curriculum-if you have to be learning to type anyway, why not be learning and memorizing bible verses at the same time?

The price of Keyboarding for the Christian School is very affordable (and I like that too!)-it's only $12.95 for the elementary version in regular or large font, and just $15.95 for the grade 6 and up version!  This is great because you can use it on a tablet or electronic device, or print it out, whichever works best in your home.  I chose to print it out, which worked fine for us.  If you prefer to purchase a hard copy, you can for $45 which includes shipping and handling. *Great news-now through 8/29, you can save 20% on your purchase using the code SUMMER2012!

Go to the Keyboarding for the Christian School website to learn about package deals and other products available, teacher resources, testimonials, and to view sample lessons.  I was very impressed with this affordable keyboarding program, and plan to purchase the higher grade version when the time comes.

Click the banner below for more reviews of Keyboarding for the Christian School:




*Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. 

Giveaway!!!! Purex Detergent

Purex has some great promotions going on right now!

*Enter the Repin it to Win It contest for a chance to win a year's supply of Purex Triple Action detergent and Purex Crystals-ends 7/23!

*Purex Tweetstakes-Follow Purex on Twitter @Purex  through July 20th.  25 winners will win a coupon for a free bottle of Purex detergent!

*Purex is giving away a one year supply of Borax plus $1000 cash-enter here! 

*In the Let's Be Honest promotion going on right now, one winner a day will win a year's worth of Purex detergent!

* There is a new Purex Life Article on Summer laundry safety tips-check it out!

The Let's Be Honest promotion has a bunch of short videos making fun of everyday life-they are really cute!  It was hard to pick a favorite, but I thought #4 Hamper reminded me of my house! 

The Giveaway!!!!!!

Purex is giving 3 of my readers a coupon for a free bottle of Purex Triple Action detergent!! You have four chances to enter (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1. Mandatory entry-  View the Let's Be Honest videos at

http://www.purex.com/lets-be-honest or

http://www.youtube.com/user/purexlaundry/videos

 and leave a comment letting me know your favorite one.

2.  Extra entry-Like, share, or retweet your favorite video for one extra entry-leave me a comment to let me know what you did!

3.  Extra entry-Like The Loose Screw on Facebook for one extra entry.

4.  Extra entry-Tweet, post on Facebook, or blog about this giveaway for one extra entry-leave me a comment with a link to your post/tweet.

Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are one of the winners! The winners will be chosen using www.random.org

This contest will end at midnight MST on Wednesday, July 25, 2012.  I will email the winners the following day. GOOD LUCK!

Book Review~Almost Amish by Kathryn Cushman

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingAlmost AmishBethany House Publishers (July 1, 2012)byKathryn Cushman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy, but all her life she knew that she wanted to write a novel “some day”. For her, “some day” came in 2003, when she started writing and never looked back.

Her first two manuscripts remain firmly ensconced in the back of her closet (the dust bunnies tell her they really are terrific!). Her third attempt became her first published novel.

A Promise to Remember and Leaving Yesterday were both finalists for the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award, and Waiting for Daybreak was a finalist in Women’s Fiction for the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award.

On the homefront, she has been married to the wonderful and handsome Lee for nearly twenty-five years now, and their two daughters are currently braving the worlds of high school and college.

They’ve lived in Santa Barbara for over twenty years. It’s a beautiful place and Kathryn feel blessed to be there (although a seventy degree Christmas still leaves her dreaming of a white one—or at least a colder one!)

When she's not writing or reading or braving seventy degree holidays, you’ll find her trying her best to keep up with her daughters in their various theater, softball, dance, and filled-with-activity lives.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Proving the Simple Life Isn't So Simple After All

Overcommitted and overwhelmed, Julie Charlton is at the breaking point. She knows she should feel blessed as a mother and wife--but she just feels exhausted. And then, the miraculous happens. Her sister-in-law Susan, a Martha Stewart-in-training, lands the chance to participate in a reality TV series about trying to live like the Amish and needs another family to join her. It's just the break Julie needs.

But the summer adventure in simple living soon proves anything but simple. With the camera watching every move, Susan's drive for perfection feels a lot like what they left behind, while Julie suddenly finds herself needing to stand up for slowing down. Whether it's cooking, cleaning, or dressing differently, each new Amish challenge raises new complications...and soon each woman learns unexpected lessons about herself and her family.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Almost Amish, go HERE.

My thoughts~ This is a great idea for a book.  Several years back, I watched a TV series where a family was moved and had to survive as a frontier family of the past.  I really enjoyed the show, and this book is along the same lines.  With my love of Amish fiction, it was a winning combination for me!  We all tend to think the grass is greener on the other side, and in this book it is apparent that living a 'simple' life doesn't mean an 'easy' life.  The characters in the book were on a journey of discovering what is most important to them.  This is a book I recommend!