In the fall I had a chance to get reacquainted with Penzu. It’s a great tool for writing that allows you to create a free online journal. Individual entries can be public or private which allows you to share them in many ways. Using Penzu would be an excellent way to reflect or share your thoughts about teaching. Students could use Penzu in much the same way.
Some ideas on using Penzu as a teacher include sharing tips with parents, documenting individual student progress and reflecting on lessons. You can share private entries with others who have free Penzu accounts. If parents create a free account, you could share an entry with them via email. By making an entry public, you could share a success story with your Personalized Learning Network (PLN). Keeping a Penzu journal would also be a good way to prepare for a teaching evaluation.
Students can use Penzu in a variety of ways as well. Students under 13 need to have a parent or teacher verify their account as they get setup. Young students need to signup here. Using Penzu is a great way for students to practice digital citizenship by taking photos of their work or creating pictures to use in their journal.
Here are a few resources to help you (and your students) decide how to use Penzu:
- Penzu Promo Video
- The Power of Penzu
- Writing in Science by Baltimore County Public Schools
- Penzu Lesson Plans from Perdue
- Scholastic Journal Writing Unit Plan
What ideas do you have for using Penzu? How might you use it in your classroom?