Those who know me are aware that I am motivated by streaks. Currently, I’m on a 93-day streak with the Bend stretching app and a 1,027-day streak of closing my Apple Watch rings. Unfortunately, I missed participating in last year’s votes for Jane Hart’s Top 100 Tools for Learning, but I still shared my top tools for 2025. I’ve previously posted for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024.<\/p>\n
Each year, I create my top ten list without referencing the previous year’s choices to avoid bias. My selections are guided by Harold Jarche’s Personal Knowledge Mastery (PKM) framework, which helps individuals make sense of information and work effectively. The tools that enhance my PKM practice consistently are the ones I value most.<\/p>\n
Creating a top ten list is challenging, but constraints can boost creativity and focus. Here are my top learning tools for 2026, aligned with my PKM activities of seeking, sensing, and sharing.<\/p>\n
For seeking information, I rely on Overcast. It’s a podcast player with a great free plan supported by non-intrusive ads, though I find the annual subscription worthwhile. I use Overcast daily to listen to podcasts across various interests, including news and technology. The app’s interface, designed by Marco Arment, also allows me to upload audiobooks, making it an essential tool for my learning.<\/p>\n
Libby is invaluable for audiobooks and digital books. It works with my local library cards, allowing me to access e-books and audiobooks. I can read e-books in the Kindle app and listen to audiobooks via Libby. Highlights are saved in Readwise, syncing all my digital reading highlights, whether from purchased or borrowed books.<\/p>\n
Unread is my go-to RSS reader, primarily on my iPad, but it functions well on my iPhone too. Its unique feature is one-thumb operation for navigating stories, creating a seamless reading experience. Unread integrates with Inoreader, which I mention in the sharing section.<\/p>\n
The sense-making part of PKM involves experimenting with ideas and applying what we’ve learned. Obsidian is my new note-taking system, having switched from Evernote. It’s easy to start with basic note-taking but offers expansive capabilities. All notes are plain text, ensuring I can easily move them if needed. It links notes in innovative ways, enhancing my learning process.<\/p>\n
Raindrop is a long-standing favorite tool for digital bookmarking. With over 35,000 bookmarks organized and tagged, it helps me manage information for future learning. I’m surprised more people don’t use digital bookmarks for effective sense-making.<\/p>\n
Zotero is my preferred reference manager, especially for academic work. It allows me to save metadata for scholarly articles with a single click, streamlining the process of gathering sources for writing.<\/p>\n