It’s survey time again! Jane Hart is collecting everyone’s top learning tools for her annual report. I love seeing what everyone’s using these days.
Want to share yours? Head over to the Top Tools for Learning survey and submit your list. You’ve got until August 29th. Don’t wait!
Here’s my lineup for 2025. No rankings here – just the tools that keep me sane and productive.
Feedly
This thing saves my sanity. Seriously. I can follow tons of blogs and news sources without my brain exploding from information overload. It’s like having a really smart assistant who only shows me the good stuff.
Claude/ChatGPT/Gemini
These tools are like having super smart friends on speed dial. Need help writing? They’re there. Want to understand something complex? They break it down. I use different ones for different things because they each have their strengths.
Canva
Graphics superpower, no joke. I use Canva for all kinds of graphics. It’s almost unfair how easy they make it.
Raindrop.io
Raindrop turns my chaotic bookmarking into something actually useful. I can find stuff when I need it. Magic.
Kit
My newsletter runs on this. Clean, simple, and it just works. I don’t want to spend forever figuring out email marketing. Kit handles the tech stuff so I can focus on writing.
Craft.do
Digital notes have never looked so good. This is what I use for digital handouts to accompany presentations and workshops.
PowerPoint
Yeah, I said it. PowerPoint. Fight me. 😊 It’s been around forever because it works. Everyone can open the files. It does what I need. Sometimes the old tools are old for good reasons.
Google Docs/Drive
This is my digital filing cabinet and writing space rolled into one. Works everywhere. Syncs everything. Shares easily. What more do you want?
WordPress
Powers both my personal site and my book websites. After years of trying different platforms, I always come back to WordPress. It’s flexible without being overwhelming.
Zapier
Work smarter, not harder. That’s the whole point here. If I’m doing something repetitive, Zapier probably automates it. It’s like having a robot assistant who never gets tired.
Your Turn!
So those are my picks. But honestly? I’m way more interested in yours.
What tools are you obsessing over this year? What’s changed your game?
Drop your list in Jane Hart’s survey before August 29th. The results always surprise me. Last year AI tools dominated, but there’s usually a good mix of old favorites and shiny new things.
And hey, if you’ve got a tool that’s not on my list but should be, tell me about it. I’m always hunting for the next thing that’ll make my life easier.
The results come out in September. I’m betting AI tools will be huge again this year, but I’m curious what else makes the cut.
Check out Christy Tucker’s list too – she’s got some great picks that might inspire your own choices.
What’s on your list?
Mike Taylor 