Penzu Tutorial

Penzu is a simple online tool to create a personal journal, a diary. There users can store ideas, thoughts, information, images, et cetera. It resembles a paper diary, and users may even lock the entries, which are automatically dated. This tool is free and has a large capacity to store information and upload pictures.

Penzu may undoubtedly be used in education, for students can write about a certain topic, add titles as well as images which can appear in the margin of the page with a clip or directly placed on the sheet of paper. In other words, Penzu is a very powerful tool for creating materials and tasks for students because of what can be done with it, for example:

• Create digital materials.

• Writing portfolio -  to set written homework task for students.

• Lesson summary – teachers or students can record what was done in each lesson and send it to the rest as a summary or reminder.

• Model process writing - to create models for writing activities.

• Learner diaries - students use it as a learning journal and write in what they learned from each lesson.

• Image based narrative – students write a narrative based on pictures.

Tutorial 

Once you have created an account, it is time to start using it!

1. Click on the “New Journal” button to start with your journal. 

2. As you can see, the date is automatically set. Click on any line or on “Enter your title” and start writing.

3. You can also choose the format, that is, font, size, colour, et cetera.

4. You can also insert pictures or photos by clicking on the camera.

5. Once you do so, you will get this sign in which you need to choose whether to upload files from you’re your computer or form your Flicker account.

When you upload the pictures, you get this:

Now you have to decide whether to attach the picture, that is, place it in the margin, insert it, i.e., place it in the entry.

6. You can choose whether to lock the entries or not by means of the padlock. You only need to add a password but you should not forget it, otherwise, you will not be able to access the entry any more.

7. In case you want to add more entries to your journal, you have to press the “plus” button.

8. If you want to visualize all the entries, just click on the button that looks like a diary.

You will get something like this:

9. You can add comments to your journal by clicking on the “speech bubble” button.

You can also print the entry by pressing the “printer” button.

You save your work by clicking on the “diskette” button. 

10. You can edit your entries later. 

Here is a sample of an entry:

Penzu


See an Activity on Penzu

Bibliography

Peachey, N. (2009). Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers. Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers, p.6