Helping Students Use a Journal with Penzu

Author, speaker, and entrepreneur Jim Rohn used to emphasize the importance of journalizing and learning from your life experiences. In fact, Rohn used to carry around a leather bound journal with him wherever he went, so he wouldn't miss a thing.

 In our classrooms today, we ask students to journalize their thoughts, feelings, and dreams. When they write something down, they take ownership and solidify their ideas. I just stumbled across a site called Penzu, where students can create their own private online journal. The journal design can be customized to meet the needs of students and entries can even be password protected. There is a feature that will send email reminders to write in their journal or they can choose to receive email updates of what they were thinking on a date in the past.

When students jot down their ideas, they are writing on a sample page of notebook paper. The authentic look can stimulate thoughts within their heads, which they can highlight with their own pictures! Postings are initially private, but students can share their entries via email, a public URL, or by printing a physical copy.

We know from research that when students are writing, they are learning. With Penzu, why not help them start a lifelong success habit?

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