Biology 101 Review by Cindy Downes

Your visual and auditory learners are going to LOVE this. As a matter of fact, Biology 101: Biology According to the Days of Creation, developed by Wes Olson, is going to be enjoyed by the whole family!

The topics covered in this 4 disc set include Defining Life and Life Classification, Plants, Aquatic Creatures, Avian Creatures, Land Animals, Mankind and Genetics. It also includes a printable 114-page guidebook and a 12-page "Course Accreditation Program."

First, what I liked:

I loved the beautiful videos; the animated graphs, charts and illustrations; the background music was pleasant and added to the learning experience. The host (also Wes Olson) was an excellent speaker and kept my attention with clearly defined definitions, anecdotes, and interesting facts. During the plant

Teaching A Foreign Language

Foreign language is a notoriously challenging subject for many Americans due to our relative isolation from the rest of the world. Even those who take a foreign language in high school or college rarely end up using it. In fact, only 26% of American’s speak a second language well enough to hold a conversation while more than 50% of Europeans are fluent in at least one additional language. So if you are one of the 74% of Americans that continue to struggle with a foreign language here are a few ideas that might make the process a little more enjoyable.

Experts agree that “immersion” substantially increase a student’s ability to retain foreign languages. Although trips to Mexico or Europe may be out of the question, there are other ways to create immersion opportunities for the whole

Medieval Life

Medieval Life features sound effects and interactive pen and ink drawings, paintings, and photographs that tell the story of life in the middle ages. It includes information on castle life, cathedrals, farms, towns, work, play, food, clothing, religion, homes, children, women, knights, tools, weapons, monastery, Vikings and Viking ships.

Pros: The sound effects, such as dogs barking, a blacksmith clanking tools, geese honking, and monks chanting, help pull you back into the middle ages. I like that. I also found it fun trying to find all the interactive hot spots; kind of like playing “Where’s Waldo.”

Cons: There is no animation or video including in the app. Although the pictures are interesting and there is a bit of interactivity, this app lacks the features that would