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Disclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

If you're looking for a guide that walks you through how to start a podcast, you're absolutely in the right place...

Starting a podcast isn't difficult, but there are a number of steps you'll need to go through in order to get it launched.

In this podcasting tutorial, we'll walk you through every step of the process:

Choosing a topic & name

Show and episode format

Cover art creation

Intro & outro music

Equipment selection

Audio recording & editing

Submission to Apple Podcasts (iTunes)

Promotion tips

And much more...

Bonus: Free 10-Day "How To Start A Podcast" Email Course
Just click the link and enter your email to get the first lesson:
Click Here To Get The Free "How To Start A Podcast" Email Course
Just a few of the things you'll learn:

What to podcast about

Equipment you'll need

How to record & edit

How to promote your podcast

Get started today!

Podcasting is a much less crowded and competitive space than blogging, making now the perfect time to get started.

As of November 2023, there are just over 2 million podcasts, but over 600 million blogs!

In case you're wondering, I've helped thousands of people start a podcast in the last several years and have started a few shows in different industries myself.

Looking to start a podcast quickly? Sign up with Buzzsprout, upload your audio files, and submit to Apple & Spotify.

Let's get started:

Planning

This is the initial (often overlooked) stage to make a podcast. You'll want to spend a good amount of time here before you move on.

Feel free to get out a notebook or a whiteboard so you can start planning your podcast like a pro.

Choose A Topic

You want your podcast to be focused on a particular topic or niche.

Try to narrow it down to something you can speak about for many episodes (100+) but that isn't so broad that you won't appeal to your potential audience.

For example, instead of having an "outdoor" podcast, talk about hiking - or even more specific, like hiking 14ers.

You can always expand your topic later as you get more popular.

Important: see the section about choosing a name to make sure you don't limit yourself.

Pick A Co-host (optional)

Do you have a friend, business partner, or coworker that you want to co-host with?

It can be much easier to start podcasting if you have a co-host.

You will naturally have a more engaging conversation if you both share your points of view on a topic. It can also be helpful to have someone to keep things on track.

Plus, you can split additional tasks of editing, promoting, and more.

There can be downsides though.

You'll want to make sure both of you are committed to it for the long term. And it helps to set a schedule from the beginning so you know when you will be recording every week.

There aren't rules here though. If your co-host drops off, you could still continue the podcast without them. Or you could start solo and add a co-host later.

The important thing is to just get started.. so let's choose a name:

Choose A Name

If you look at the top Apple Podcasts charts, you'll see a variety of different names.

Some are descriptive of what the show is about, while others don't mean much.

I'm actually going to seemingly contradict what I said earlier: You want to choose a name that is broader than your topic.

Using the hiking example earlier, if we choose "The 14er Cast" as our name, what happens when we want to talk about backpacking & ultralight camping too?

Instead, choose a name that will let you expand if you decide to later. Maybe "Mountain Adventures (Above & Below 14K ft)" would work as it gives a hint to hiking 14ers but gives you the option to talk about all kinds of stuff if you want.

I just came up with that as I was writing this, I'm sure you could do better!

Action Step: Purchase a domain name (opens in a new tab) for your podcast.

Another option is to get a free domain name with a Bluehost web hosting plan. You can search right here on this page - try it out!

I also have some more tips on choosing a domain name here if you want.

Show Format

Length

You'll find a number of "experts" claim that certain lengths are perfect for podcasts. The problem is that's just BS.

You don't need a 28-minute podcast because that's the average driving time. Or under an hour because people can't pay attention longer than that.

There are 5 minutes podcasts and there are 6-hour podcasts. Find whatever works for you and run with it!

What I would try to avoid is making it longer than it needs to be because you went off-topic for 15 minutes.

Here's a great image from Pop Up Podcasting that shows "easy, good, or long - pick two":

Style

Interview shows are popular, but that doesn't mean you have to do one.

You can do solo (or co-hosted) shows half the time and interview shows the other half.

One big benefit of doing interviews is that they help a ton with getting new listeners - especially if you make it easy for your guest to share with pre-written templates and graphics.

Episode Format

So what does a specific episode sound like? I wrote this post about podcast intros, but it has a bunch of examples of different episode formats for popular podcasts.

Here's one example:

Get creative with this part.

Different segments make it easier to share small clips on social media too.

But remember that for every episode you put out, you will have both repeat listeners and new listeners so you should try to speak to both of them.

Preparation

Now that you've written down your topic, format(s), and secured a domain name, we'll need to get a few things prepared ahead of launch...

Create Cover Art

Your cover art is the first impression most people will see as they browse through Apple Podcasts or their favorite podcast app.

It's might also be the image someone sees when you share your show on social media.

Buzzsprout has written an excellent article about designing cover art, so I would definitely start there.

If you have a little bit of a budget, I highly recommend 99 Designs to get yours created.

You'll get hundreds of different designers to produce a draft - then you can choose the ones you like to have them further refined.

Get A Professional Intro (Optional)

Music Radio Creative is the best place to get professional-quality voiceovers and intros.

Having a third-party introduce you just takes your perceived value up a notch, which is a great way to stand out when first starting a podcast.

Choose Intro Music

I'm a big fan of PremiumBeat for podcast music.

It's easy to search, you get a full license, and they have a bunch of different styles.

Take a look at this post on royalty-free music for more options.

Most people don't need an unlimited subscription-style music service - just a song or two.

Get A Microphone

Audio quality is important but it doesn't have to cost a ton to get a good quality microphone for podcasting. One of the most popular podcasting microphones is the Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB.

It's both a USB microphone and has an XLR connection which lets you upgrade your recording equipment without needing a new mic.

I recommend taking a look at our podcast starter kit post for more options here, especially if you plan on having a co-host or two.

Podcast Guests

If you are doing an interview show, now is the time to get a list together of who you want on your podcast.

Then start reaching out to them.

It can help to use a service like Acuity Scheduling so people can book right on your calendar when it's convenient for you.

This saves the headache of going back and forth working out a meeting time - and means you can focus on getting more guests!

Plus you can ask them for certain info like their Skype username or an intro you can read when they schedule with you.

To record your interviews when you're not in-person (or if your co-host doesn't record in the same room with you) I use and recommend Iris.

Recording & Editing

Alitu (The Easy Way)

If you haven't used editing software before, even simple actions in GarageBand or Audacity can be quite intimidating.

It's understandable: audio production is completely full of jargon!

If that's the case, then Alitu might be the way to go.

It's a 'podcast making' tool that automates a lot of the confusing technical parts, and practically builds your episode for you. It's all based right inside your browser, so no software to download, and it works on any computer connected to the internet.

It is built to be super simple to use and does pretty much everything:

Takes care of audio cleanup

Lets you add music

Helps you piece together your audio segments

Has direct publishing of your episodes.

All you need to do is upload your recordings, and use the fool-proof podcast-specific editor to take out any big mistakes. Alitu does the rest!

Even better, Alitu includes a library of music and jingles which you can use as your theme tune, or as transitions between segments.

Whether you're a complete beginner, or an experienced podcaster looking to drastically cut down on your production time, you should definitely give Alitu a try. It comes with a 7-day free trial, so sign up here and try it out!

GarageBand (Free Option)

I'm going to show you how to use GarageBand for recording and editing.

Other audio editing software is similar but most have more advanced features that you don't need when getting started. Popular options are Adobe Audition & Audacity (both work with Mac & PC).

You can also check out our full post on podcast editing software.

Create A Template

Before you get started, it will be much easier if you create a template that you can reuse every time you record a podcast episode.

What this means is that you will have your intro & outro music already placed, space for ad spots, as well as your tracks for your voice or an interviewee.

Keep in mind this will look different depending on your episode format - create a podcast template that works for you. Here's one I use:

I'll just open the template up, click File -> Save As, and save the file as my episode name (i.e. 008-episode-8-title).

This will also keep any effects you have applied to the tracks, including compression, EQ, or anything else. I'll show you the settings I use in the editing section below.

Record Your First Episode (Or 3)

Solo

If you're just recording a solo episode or want to record an intro to an interview you did, simply select the track you want to record to (see the light gray Podcast Audio track selected above) and click the red Record button up top:

Multiple Hosts

If you have multiple hosts, you'll need to click Track -> Configure Track Header and check Record Enable.

This will give you the option to enable multiple tracks to record at once and you'll see the Record Enable button on each track:

You'll click that button on each track you want to record, then click the big record button up top. Easy enough!

Remote Interview

Many people use Skype for recording remote interviews and the easiest way to actually record the audio (or video) is with Ecamm Call Recorder For Skype (Mac only) or Pamela (for Windows).

If you want better audio quality than Skype or Zoom allow, or a way to have individual audio files for more than 2 people, services like Iris are excellent. They are designed for remote recording and podcast interviews.

When you are done recording, you'll have two separate tracks that you will place on top of each other like this:

This also shows another template that you may want to use. The Podcast Audio track is only used for solo shows, and the Interview tracks are only used for interview shows.

Edit Your Episode

There are a couple of things you can easily set up once (and save in your template) that will make your podcast (and your voice) sound much better.

Keep in mind that everyone's voice is different so there aren't perfectly universal settings, but these may give you a good starting point:

1. Select the track you want to work with (start with your voice)

2. Click an empty space in the Plug-ins box

3. Add compression by going to Dynamics -> Compressor:

4. I use these settings (sometimes I'll add more gain):Play around with them and just click the power button next to the compressor plugin to easily compare.

5. Next we're going to add EQ (under EQ -> Channel EQ).

6. Here are my settings:

100 Hz: 24dB/Oct roll off, Q: 0.79

160 Hz: -2.5dB, Q: 2.20

500 Hz: -1.0dB, Q: 0.71

930 Hz: -0.5dB, Q: 3.20

3400 Hz: +0.5dB, Q: 0.71

5400 Hz: +2.5dB, Q: 0.71

I'm not going to get into what all that means, but if you just do one, the low-end roll-off (on the left) will be a good start.

Or you can just download my Podcast Vocal EQ settings here (.pst file on Dropbox).

The last step I'd recommend is going to Auphonic to apply some normalization for loudness (LUFS), leveling, and filtering. It will also automatically add ID3 tags should you need them.

Launch!

Get A Podcast Host

I use and highly recommend Buzzsprout podcast hosting after trying many different companies over the years.

Plus you'll get a free $20 Amazon gift card after you sign up for a paid plan!

Feel free to check out our complete podcast hosting guide if you want to see other options, but another great choice for larger brands is Transistor.

You can also look at this list of the best podcast platforms.

Once you've signed up, you'll need to fill out some required information about your podcast (name, description, categories, etc.).

Upload Your First Episode

If you use Buzzsprout, this process is super simple.

If not, it's possible you need to mess with things like embedding ID3 tags into your MP3. Sounds confusing and unnecessary - let's not do that.

You'll just need to click the "Upload" button:

and they'll apply some magic processing to your mp3 file.

Then you'll need to fill out the episode title, description, summary, publish date, and episode #.

If you want to use Seasons, put a "1" there, otherwise leave it blank. If you use a lot of bad words, click the explicit checkbox.

It can be helpful to create a template for your episode description (in a separate text document) to reuse for every episode - I use something like this:

Click save and repeat this step for your initial release of episodes.

It's recommended to launch a podcast with more than 1 episode so that people don't have to wait to hear more.

3 to 5 episodes is a good number to start with.

Submit To Apple Podcasts (iTunes)

I have a separate guide on how to submit your podcast to iTunes but within Buzzsprout just click Apple Podcasts under the Directories tab and follow the steps they've put together.

After that, grab your podcast RSS feed and submit it to other podcast directories too.

As you upload new episodes, your host will automatically update your RSS feed and any podcast directory you're listed on will also update with your new episode.

Spread The Word

Use Buzzsprout's social sharing feature to generate teaser videos and start sharing!

There are other companies that will help you generate different styles of audiograms, but having it built into your host makes it really easy to create (and it won't cost you extra).

Wavve and Headliner are two excellent choices if you want to create more custom podcast videos to share.

Check out this article on podcast promotion to for a bunch of other marketing tactics. One of the most impactful ones is building your own website (see next step below).

Recommended Steps (After Starting A Podcast)

Your job isn't done once you start a podcast. Here are my recommendations to help make your show more appealing and easier to grow:

Create A Website

WordPress (Easy To Medium Difficulty)

Podcast hosting companies usually give you a website, but if you want to be taken seriously get yourself a separate WordPress host.

For beginners, Bluehost is easily the best option (plus you'll get a free domain name for the first year).

If you need a bit more guidance, start with this how to start a WordPress blog post for the initial steps.

I have a list of excellent WordPress plugins that a podcaster would need too.

And if you need more help, I have a course called Podcast Website LaunchPad that walks you through everything.

Podcastpage (Easiest Method)

Podcastpage is a website builder and hosting all-in-one made specifically for podcasts. Kind of like Wix but designed for the needs podcasters.

No coding is necessary. You just choose one of their themes, customize to your liking, and optionally integrate email marketing or Google Analytics.

You can add pages or blog posts, customize your audio player, and make it easy for your visitors to subscribe!

It works with any podcast hosting provider and pricing is fair, starting at $80/year or $8/month.

Check it out and sign up for a free trial here.

Get Transcriptions

Transcriptions are an excellent way for search engines (like Google) to "read" your podcast episodes. They also give your audience another way to look something up quickly.

You don't have to start out with them, but it's another one of those things that will set you apart.

Buzzsprout has a built-in transcription service (on paid plans) that costs $.10/minute, but my favorite transcription service is Rev - give them a try.

Create Show Notes

Show notes can be transcriptions like above, a simple summary of what you talked about, or a full blog post tailored more toward reading than listening.

Some people do a combination.

On this site, we start with written content first and then create podcast episodes after.

Embed Your Episode

Grab your episode embed code and place it on your show notes page so people can listen from your website.

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The Ultimate Guide To Starting A Podcast (Free Forever)

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Learn how to start a podcast in 2023 with this step-by-step tutorial. You'll learn everything from coming up with an idea to recording to launching!

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When voicEd Radio began, there were only a handful of education podcasts out there. Now, nearly six years later, we are host to a network of nearly 150 separate shows, each offering their own dynamic take on education. A good portion of our network features practitioners and researchers from Canada, but you'll also find the voices of passionate educators from the United States and other parts of the world.

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When voicEd Radio began, there were only a handful of education podcasts out there. Now, nearly six years later, we are host to a network of nearly 150 separate shows, each offering their own dynamic take on education.

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We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

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Listen to PES Panther Podcast on Spotify. A weekly podcast with Host, Mr. C, student cohosts and participants each week. This podcast features weather forecasts, a special interview (Meet The Creature), School updates, Ms. White's Reading Tip of the week and a joke of the week.

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This NLESD site is intended as a quick start guide to setting up a Google Classroom.

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Many questions and answers about Google Workspace can be found in the E-Learning Facilitators FAQ. If you have any further questions, please contact our Digital Itinerant team at digitalreadiness@nlesd.ca.

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Screencastify - What You Need to Know.webm

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Introducing EquatIO - Making Math Digital

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EquatIO takes the pain out of creating mathematical expressions digitally. Try EquatIO free today: https://goo.gl/6KTHLA Made for today's tech-focused classrooms, this Chrome browser extension lets you type, handwrite, or dictate equations, formulas and more directly on your computer or tablet. Then add your expression with a click of a button to Google Docs or Forms. Input's easy with EquatIO.

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(Archived) EquatIO for Google Introduction

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Educators: Getting Started with Flipgrid

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Jamboard for Teachers! (quick start tips and ideas)

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This second part in the series of NLESD Google Classroom include next steps in its use.

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Digital Readiness - Google Classroom: Next Steps

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Many questions and answers about Google Workspace can be found in the E-Learning Facilitators FAQ. If you have any further questions, please contact our Digital Itinerant team at digitalreadiness@nlesd.ca.

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Eric Curts' YouTube Playlist includes varied and easy tutorials on the Google Classroom.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Jamboard is Google's app for free-form collaboration and brainstorming. It is very useful for teachers because Jams save to Drive, work with Classroom, and add fun to learning. It even has some nice drawing tools.

Yet, there are some things about Jamboard that make it tricky for teachers:

Unlike Docs, Drawings, Sheets, and Slides, Jamboard has no version history.

There is a twenty frame limit for any Jam. Many class sizes are well above twenty.

Jamboard Jams start to glitch at around twenty collaborators.

Teachers should know about these concerns and still incorporate Jamboard. Here are seven tips for teachers wanting to try Jamboard for their students.

Tip 1: Create Jams in Google Drive Folders

Staying organized is so important for teachers. Create Jams in a unit's Google Drive folder and it will always be there for future use. Go to the folder in Drive. Choose New>>>More and Google Jamboard.

Tip 2: Have an Untouched Original Copy

Once students have access to Jams they get messy. Always make copies for student use and keep an untouched original. Copy a Jam by right-clicking it in Drive and choosing "Make a copy."

Or click the three dots in the upper-right of the Jamboard editor and choose "Make a copy."

Tip 3: The First Jamboard Task is Independent

Introduce Jamboard to students with an independent task. Let students get familiar with Jamboard Jams before they collaborate. Teachers can use "Make a copy for each student" in Google Classroom to automate this process.

Tip 4: Be Explicit About the Undo Button

Introduce students to Jamboard by demonstrating its tools. One tool to emphasize is the Undo button found in the upper-left of Jamboard on the web. Be repetitive about it. Be annoying. So students can't forget the Undo button. When it is time to collaborate and a student deletes an element, they will know to use the Undo button.

Tip 5: The First Student Collaboration is in Pairs

The next step is collaboration in pairs. Give pairs a task in a Jam. Starting collaboration in pairs sets students up for success in larger collaborations.

Tip 6: Collaboration in Small Groups

Jamboard is perfect for small group collaborations. Seven is a good upper limit for groups in Jamboard. Is there an ideal group size for Jamboard? I argue there is: five. Insert a sticky note in a Jam. Look at the color options:

Besides transparent, there are five sticky note colors:

Assign each student a specific sticky note color for notes they add to the Jam. This brings structure and accountability. This is the first frame of a Jam that assigns five students a specific color. Make a copy for yourself to save time.

Use Google Classroom's differentiation feature to assign a Jam to a small group. Use Reuse post to get other groups their copy of the Jam.

What about whole-class collaboration? Using the right tool for the right job. Having thirty students collaborate in a Google Doc would get very messy. The same is true for Jamboard. Remember the Jamboard concerns raised in this blog post's intro. Google Slides is a wonderful tool for whole-class collaboration. There is no slide limit and it does not glitch with twenty participants. Teachers can assign each student a slide or slides to groups. "Group 1 has slides 1-5, Group 2 has slides 6-10..."

Tip 7: Never Grade Jams on Neatness

As stated, Jams get messy. The app is inherently imprecise. Have a look at this Jam I created to show the unique features of the Jamboard mobile app:

Jamboard Jams can be a tool for assessment but neatness should never be a criterion.

Here are some more resources for getting started with Jamboard:

What do you think? What activities will you create for students using Google Jamboard? Please comment below or tweet me, @TomEMullaney.

Does your school need remote professional development to make the most of Jamboard? Have a look at some of my offerings and connect with me on Twitter.

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7 Tips for Getting Started with Jamboard in the Classroom

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Jamboard is Google's app for free-form collaboration and brainstorming. It is very useful for teachers because Jams save to Drive, work with Classroom, and add fun to learning. It even has some nice drawing tools. Yet, there are some things about Jamboard that make it tricky for teachers: Unlike Docs, Drawings, Sheets, and Slides, Jamboard...

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1_How to log in to the Minecraft Education Edition Software.webm

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Open this in a new window for application ideas and templates.

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How to Use Google Slides - Beginner's Guide

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How to Use Google Docs - Beginner's Guide

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My 8yo has discovered Google Docs, and now instead of playing video games she is obsessed with word-processing and experimenting with different templates and making things like a resumé for our dog.

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My 8yo has discovered Google Docs, and now instead of playing video games she is obsessed with word-processing and experimenting with different templates and making things like a resumé for our dog. https://t.co/A63NYXi1tH

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My 8yo has discovered Google Docs, and now instead of playing video games she is obsessed with word-processing and experimenting with different templates and making things like a resumé for our dog. pic.twitter.com/A63NYXi1tH
— Robert McNees (@mcnees@mastodon.social) (@mcnees) November 20, 2020

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My 8yo has discovered Google Docs, and now instead of playing video games she is obsessed with word-processing and experimenting with different templates and making things like a resumé for our dog. https://t.co/A63NYXi1tH

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My 8yo has discovered Google Docs, and now instead of playing video games she is obsessed with word-processing and experimenting with different templates and making things like a resumé for our dog. https://t.co/A63NYXi1tH

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My 8yo has discovered Google Docs, and now instead of playing video games she is obsessed with word-processing and experimenting with different templates and making things like a resumé for our dog.

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EquatIO® for Google: How to Use in Google Docs

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Read&Write for Google Chrome™ - An Introduction

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Google Forms Training | Teacher Center | Google for Education

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Open this in a new window for application ideas and templates.

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6 Ways to Jam on Jamboard: Using the Digital Whiteboard in a Hybrid Classroom

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The popular Google app facilitates meaningful collaboration for both remote and in-class students.

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How to Use Google Jamboard for Remote Teaching

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Morning homeroom question #throwitawaythursday. @BrooksideInt pic.twitter.com/WvWFDhRRKe
— Mrs. Williams- Gr. 5 (@mrs_williamsBSI) March 4, 2021

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Listen to this great Message about @pinkshirtday from one of my students. We recorded responses to ?’s about pink shirt day using @Flipgrid. Such great insight from S’s. @BrooksideInt

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Listen to this great Message about @pinkshirtday from one of my students. We recorded responses to ?’s about pink shirt day using @Flipgrid. Such great insight from S’s. @BrooksideInt https://t.co/uc70oQeN3P

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Listen to this great Message about @pinkshirtday from one of my students. We recorded responses to ?’s about pink shirt day using @Flipgrid. Such great insight from S’s. @BrooksideInt pic.twitter.com/uc70oQeN3P
— Mrs. Williams- Gr. 5 (@mrs_williamsBSI) February 24, 2021

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Listen to this great Message about @pinkshirtday from one of my students. We recorded responses to ?’s about pink shirt day using @Flipgrid. Such great insight from S’s. @BrooksideInt https://t.co/uc70oQeN3P

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Listen to this great Message about @pinkshirtday from one of my students. We recorded responses to ?’s about pink shirt day using @Flipgrid. Such great insight from S’s. @BrooksideInt https://t.co/uc70oQeN3P

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Listen to this great Message about @pinkshirtday from one of my students. We recorded responses to ?’s about pink shirt day using @Flipgrid. Such great insight from S’s. @BrooksideInt

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Working on @pinkshirtday #jamboard activities this morning during homeroom. Great “sticky note” ideas.

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Working on @pinkshirtday #jamboard activities this morning during homeroom. Great “sticky note” ideas. https://t.co/7Ih08BqmDr

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Working on @pinkshirtday #jamboard activities this morning during homeroom. Great “sticky note” ideas. pic.twitter.com/7Ih08BqmDr
— Mrs. Williams- Gr. 5 (@mrs_williamsBSI) February 24, 2021

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Working on @pinkshirtday #jamboard activities this morning during homeroom. Great “sticky note” ideas. https://t.co/7Ih08BqmDr

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Working on @pinkshirtday #jamboard activities this morning during homeroom. Great “sticky note” ideas. https://t.co/7Ih08BqmDr

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Working on @pinkshirtday #jamboard activities this morning during homeroom. Great “sticky note” ideas.

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4_How to host a world for students to join

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3_How to import a world into Minecraft Education

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Teacher Example

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Using Minecraft to create a world from the book we’ve been reading! Take a look. #learningfromhome @scholasticCDA #kensukeskingdom @PlayCraftLearn @BrooksideInt @NLESDCA

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Using Minecraft to create a world from the book we’ve been reading! Take a look. #learningfromhome @scholasticCDA #kensukeskingdom @PlayCraftLearn @BrooksideInt @NLESDCA https://t.co/JeewgQLanC

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Using Minecraft to create a world from the book we’ve been reading! Take a look. #learningfromhome @scholasticCDA #kensukeskingdom @PlayCraftLearn @BrooksideInt @NLESDCA pic.twitter.com/JeewgQLanC
— Mrs. Williams- Gr. 5 (@mrs_williamsBSI) March 4, 2021

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Using Minecraft to create a world from the book we’ve been reading! Take a look. #learningfromhome @scholasticCDA #kensukeskingdom @PlayCraftLearn @BrooksideInt @NLESDCA https://t.co/JeewgQLanC

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Using Minecraft to create a world from the book we’ve been reading! Take a look. #learningfromhome @scholasticCDA #kensukeskingdom @PlayCraftLearn @BrooksideInt @NLESDCA https://t.co/JeewgQLanC

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Using Minecraft to create a world from the book we’ve been reading! Take a look. #learningfromhome @scholasticCDA #kensukeskingdom @PlayCraftLearn @BrooksideInt @NLESDCA

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Open this in a new window for video tutorials.

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Read&Write for iOS is an alternative keyboard and writing app for your iOS devices. It offers several friendly tools to help if you're writing emails, creating documents or entering and editing any kind of text.

The most recent update facilitates the installation and utilization of Read&Write iOS on iPhones and iPads
Kindly take note that the latest update requires iOS 13 or higher for proper functionality.

Use Read&Write for iOS for everyday typing, just like you'd use your iOSnormal keyboard. Reading and writing text is made quicker, easier and more accurate with these features:

InstallingRead&Write for iOS also adds a web toolbar to your Safari browser, giving you a helping hand with reading web pages or filling in online forms.

Starting Read&Write for iOS

The first time you run Read&Write for iOS, you will be shown a S etup Wizard. This gives information on how to activate the keyboard and access the Web toolbar. Launching Read&Write for iOSsubsequently will take you straight to the Settings screen.

Please see Signing in with Read&Write for iOS for authenticating an account.

From the Settings screen you can alter how Read&Write for iOS works.

Adding the Read&Write for iOS Keyboard

To change to the Read&Write for iOS keyboard go to Settings > General > Keyboards. Tap on Keyboards and then select Add New Keyboard. Select Read&Write. Now select Read&Write Keyboard - Read&Write and switch on Allow Full Access.

Once the keyboard has been enabled, click the Globe icon in the lower left of the current keyboard to toggle through to the Read&Write for iOS Keyboard.

Using the Keyboard

With the keyboard installed and selected, you'll have access to it in any application where you need to type:

Simply use Read&Write for iOS to type text like your normal keyboard.

Prediction

When you start to type, word suggestions will be predicted in the top bar:

If you want to use any of these predicted words, just tap once on the word you want. Your chosen word will be put into the text, and the words displayed will change to the next set of predictions.

To find a definition for a suggested word long press on it.

If Speak Suggestion is switched on in Settings, the suggestion will be read aloud when you tap on it. To insert the word double tap on it.

If Swipe to Insert is switched on in Settings swipe the word up to insert it into the text. Swipe the word down to see a definition for the word.

Speech

To hear text read back to you, place the cursor in the text where you want to start reading and then click on the Play button icon .

The keyboard will disappear and a speech panel will appear with the first sentence from the text like this:

The sentence will be read aloud to you and each word will be highlighted. If Continuous Reading is switched on in the Settings, it will continue to read the text until it is finished, or until you click on the Stop button icon to stop it reading, or you click on the keyboard icon to return to the keyboard.

Check It

To use the Check It, place the cursor in the sentence and click on the icon and then click on the Check Iticon The panel will appear like this:

Any confusable words, spelling and grammar errors and suggestions will be highlighted. A list of suggestions will appear on the right hand side starting with the first word. You can single tap one of these to make a correction or change Any changes will be replaced in the spelling panel with the suggestion you have chosen. Check It will then move to the next highlighted word in the sentence.

Once you've selected your changes, click on the icon to have the corrections entered into your text and return to the keyboard.

Dictionary

To use the Dictionary place the cursor anywhere in the word you wish to look up. Next, click on the icon and then the Dictionary icon . A panel will appear like this:

To hear the definition read aloud, click on the Play button icon . To return to the keyboard click on the keyboard icon .

Picture Dictionary

Select a single word in a web page and tap the Picture Dictionary icon to see the Picture Dictionary window display images for the word. For example:

Translation

Select a single word in a web page and tap the Translation icon to see a Translation window display a French or Spanish translation (depending on your location) for the word.

Web Toolbar

The Web Toolbar will be available after installing Read&Write for iOS. It offers these features when you're viewing web pages with the Safari browser:

Speech with dual colour highlighting

Dictionary (Premium version only)

Picture Dictionary (Premium version only)

Translation

Accessing the Web Toolbar
In Safari tap on the sharing icon. Scroll through the black and white icons in the sharing popup window and tap on the Read&Write icon . If the Read&Writeicon does not appear in the list, tap on More, and then toggle Read&Write on in the list provided. You can drag the items in this list to change the order they appear in the Share menu.

This will add the Read&Write web toolbar into your current web page. You will need to be do this each time you visit a new web page.

The Web Toolbar looks like this:

Talk&Type (Requires iOS 10 or higher)

To use Talk&Type on the Read&Write for iOS keyboard, tap the microphone key on the keyboard

The first time this feature is used, you'll need to allow access to Speech Recognition

Click OK to allow access

You'll then need to allow access to the microphone

Click OK to allow access

When using Talk&Type, a new app will open. Tap the microphone icon to begin dictating. Then tap the mic icon again when finished. To insert the text you've dictated, tap the link to the app you're using to insert the text.

Your dictated text will now be inserted into the app you're using.

Tap to Speak

When the toolbar first loads into the web page, the Tap to Speak button will be enabled. This lets you tap on any text in the page: it will be read aloud and highlighted.

Alternatively when this button is unchecked on the toolbar, the other features become available. Now if you wish to hear text spoken, select the text on screen and then tap the Play icon.

Settings

To adjust how Read&Write for iOS works you can access the Settings panel from the Settings icon within Read&Write.

Inside the settings, tap on Keyboard settings

Highlight Vowels

Open the Read&Write for iOS settings > Keyboard settings, then toggle this option to see vowels highlighted on the keyboard in the theme colour:

Once active, vowels on the keyboard will then be highlighted

Use Open Dyslexic font

Open the Read&Write for iOS settings > Keyboard settings, then toggle this setting to change the keyboard font to Open Dyslexic:

Change Colour Theme

Open the Read&Write for iOS app to choose from five colour themes (purple, pink, teal, orange or green) for the keyboard. These options can be found in the Read&Write for iOS settings.

Speak As I Type

Open the Read&Write for iOS settings, then tap Speech Settings.

Under Speech Settings you can toggle this setting to switchSpeak As I Type on or off. Speak As I Type reads each word and sentence aloud as you type them.

Continuous Reading

Open the Read&Write for iOS settings, then tap Speech Settings.

In Speech Settings you can toggle Continuous Reading on to have speech automatically continue after each sentence.

Sign in with an Existing Read&Write Account

Click the Sign in button to link the application to your GoogleorMicrosoft account toenable all of the premium features.
Or
Click the Enter Serial or Product Code button to enter a qualifying Read&Write serial number or product code which will enable all of the premium features.
Premium Access: Buy
If you've downloaded Read&Write for iOS from the App Store and don't have an existing Read&Write subscription with a serial number, product code, or linked Google or Microsoft account, you can enable premium features by using the Buy button. You can also contact us to purchase a Read&Write subscription which gives you access to premium features on all platforms including iOS devices.
Help: Setup Wizard
This button will take you back through theSetup Wizard, allowing you to view the keyboard setup video.

Using The Read&Write For iOS Writing Area

Read&Write for iOS now includes a writing area where you can create and manage documents with built in support tools.

The short Read&Write for iOS - How to Use the Writing App video will take you through how this feature can be used.

Quick Reference Guide

The Read&Write for iOS Quick Reference Guide breaks down the tools available showing the name and icon of each tool.

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New to Read&Write for iOS?....How to use it

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Read&Write for iOS is an alternative keyboard for your iOS devices. It offers several friendly tools to help if you're writing emails, creating documents or entering and editing any kind of text.

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Open these Slides in a new window for application ideas and templates.

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This NLESD site includes the basics for Google Meet.

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Many questions and answers about Google Workspace can be found in the E-Learning Facilitators FAQ. If you have any further questions, please contact our Digital Itinerant team at digitalreadiness@nlesd.ca.

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How to Create a Bitmoji Virtual Classroom Using Google Slides

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This second part in the NLESD Google Meet series includes next steps in its use.

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Digital Readiness - Google Meet: Next Steps

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Many questions and answers about Google Workspace can be found in the E-Learning Facilitators FAQ. If you have any further questions, please contact our Digital Itinerant team at digitalreadiness@nlesd.ca.

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Eric Curts' YouTube Playlist includes easy and varied tutorials on Google Meet.

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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Having students meet to work in small groups helps build community and fosters deeper learning.

Whether you use Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, having students in shared small groups can foster a deeper level of connection and communication, but depending on your class, the age of the students, and the content, it can be a scary moment to release control and trust the space. After all, one teacher cannot be everywhere, and if we are, are we really able to focus and offer support?

Breakout rooms allow me to connect with students and for them to connect with one another in a way that I believe is only possible in a smaller setting.

7 Tips for Creating and Maintaining Successful Breakout Spaces

1. Short and sweet. Keep your breakout time very short! This will help students focus and stay on track. Keeping breakouts to under five minutes can help students understand the one thing they need to accomplish. Once the time is up, call them back to discuss their conclusions, findings, and questions. Perhaps you push them back out into rooms for the next task. This way, groups are able to understand the pace and be ready for what's to come in the main class.

2. Sentence stems. To help your students understand how to talk to one another, send them into their breakout rooms with sentence stems or sentence starters. You don't want to pop into a breakout room and have complete silence. Often, students just don't know where to begin. Sentence stems can help them understand expectations and give them the language to get started.

3. Separate digital rooms links. When I'm using Google Meet and need longer group work time, I make separate meetings for each group and reuse these links throughout the project/class. This allows me to open all the rooms and have them available on one computer by resizing the window. I can use a Chrome extension like Mute Tab, which allows me to mute various meets and focus on one at a time. This also allows me to record the meetings.

To allay any privacy concerns, we only post and record within our learning management system, and videos are not viewable outside our domain. We also don't require that students turn on their cameras. Some teachers only post the videos for students who were absent, but I post them for every class.

4. Volunteers. One of the best realizations to come out of being virtual is that I now understand how many people want to help out in my classroom. It might not be feasible for all lessons, but if a teacher is working with younger students or if this is a topic that you believe really needs some support and outside presence, perhaps enlisting volunteers (student family members, college students, teacher candidates, former students) can create a different kind of space and conversation. They can be people who are part of the conversation-perhaps they're getting interviewed as an expert for a project-or they are there to help with some of the facilitation to free students to focus on the content.

5. Shared gray space. A shared document owned by the teacher has been one of my keys to success. I love using Jamboard or Google Slides for this. I've found that one of the best uses of this is taking advantage of the gray space around the edge. If you reduce a slide or Jamboard by 50 percent, gray space appears around the edge. That's usable space! It just doesn't appear when you present, but I think of it as being like scratch paper, a great area for notes, or a place to put images or icons for student use.

One concern I hear over and over from teachers of younger students is what to provide them as a tool to use when working collaboratively. A shared slide or Jamboard with draggable icons that can represent their thoughts or contributions in a discussion can be so valuable. Another use may be having a shared sentence stem or template that the students fill in together using the visuals and then explain their ideas when returning to the large group.

6. Project progress tracker. A shared space for tracking the progress of the team can be valuable for teachers when students are in different virtual spaces. If I am the owner of all the trackers, I can have them up while students are in their groups and see as they move their project tasks through to-do, in progress, needs feedback, and done. Having students indicate where they are helps them own their learning, keeps them connected, and shows me as the teacher who is in need of feedback and who may need some support.

7. Jobs. Having specific roles for students is a wonderful way for everyone to understand what's expected and be part of the process. Be sure to check in with students about these jobs. I find that students will volunteer for the same ones. It's wonderful to build on student strengths in a team, but it's also important to help support growth. Whether jobs are by choice or assigned, keep track of which students are in which roles to help ensure that there's some variety for future breakouts.

Instructional designer Esther Park created a set of roles in Google Slides and Jamboard that apply to a variety of scenarios. In addition, you can have students reflect on their role and how they contributed to the team. My favorite part of a reflection is asking students to give shout-outs to other students on their team for things they did that were helpful or that they learned from. I then share these with each of the students when we meet to review or in an email.

Breakout rooms take time. The process, like everything else in the classroom, takes practice. But if we provide a meaningful process, we can create an atmosphere that values and celebrates student voice and choice.

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Having students meet to work in small groups helps build community and fosters deeper learning. Whether you use Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, having students in shared small groups can foster a deeper level of connection and communication, but depending on your class, the age of the students, and the content, it can be a scary moment to release control and trust the space.

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Andrew talks about the Astro's cheating scandal in MLB.

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Using Google Slides for digital documentation

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Assessment:  Using Google Slides for Digital Portfolios