Penzu

Penzu is an app for private online personal journaling.

What do we like about Penzu?

A video lesson would make it easier for teachers and students to get started, there is a comprehensive FAQ page with clear instructions and screenshots.

What skills does it improve?

Peer editing is a useful skill that needs practice, and Penzu offers an opportunity for it. Any student entry can be shared by teachers with the entire class or with a particular student.

What age is it appropriate for?

Penzu is appropriate for students of ages 6 to 12. 

Is Penzu free?

The Penzu app is free to download on all Android and iOS devices. 

Is Penzu easy to use?

Simple list-making functions, spell-checking in six languages, and rudimentary word-processing facilities are all built right into the writing pad. All entries are automatically stored in the Cloud, and any revisions are simple to locate.

How will students benefit?

For today's tech-savvy youth, Penzu is a fantastic journaling alternative. The writing area is intended to resemble a piece of notebook paper, but children can customise the font and insert photos to give their journals a more appealing appearance. Kids who don't especially enjoy writing may find these minor nuances more engaging. Kids can view the instructions, write, and submit in the online journal all from the same page, making it a useful writing tool. A private journal in addition to a class journal may encourage students to write more, which is always a good thing. A more involved writing process results from the fact that students receive prompt feedback from their teachers and may readily alter and submit their papers.

How will teachers benefit?

Penzu is a useful tool for encouraging instructors to include more writing in their lesson plans. Almost any writing assignment can be used on the website, including reflections, literary analyses, essays, warm-ups, and lab reports (graphs can even be added in picture format). Although adding in-line comments to grades in Penzu requires a few steps and can take some time, students will benefit from the quick teacher response. Points, letters, and percentages are used to determine grades.

While sharing with select students can be used to assign companion work and peer editing, sharing with the entire class can encourage class debate on certain topics. Students can effectively edit and comment on their work and receive instant feedback with the right teacher's assistance.

What can Penzu improve on?

If there are numerous versions of an assignment, kids must copy and edit them in order to fix them, which might be confusing. There are few word processing options available.

How much does Penzu cost?

One journal, a limited selection of fonts and colours, and the option to insert images are all included in the free version. Multiple journals, more privacy, exporting functionality, email posting, mobile access, and more fonts and backgrounds are all added by Penzu Pro ($19/year).

Final thoughts

Penzu makes it simple for kids to develop and submit their work while offering fantastic teacher tools for managing writing assignments. Children can submit their work effortlessly, the tools are straightforward and effective, and schools use less paper.

You can download Penzu on your iOS or Android devices from the app stores. Download the Penzu app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.