I publish a regular series called Ed Tech Digest, and I thought it would useful to readers and to me to review them and highlight the ones I think are the best of the year.

These are different than tools appearing in The 50 Best Web 2.0 Applications For Education In 2017; The Best Online Learning Games Of 2017 – Part Two or other lists at All 2017 “Best” Lists – In One Place!

Here are my picks:

WHAT ‘TECH WORLD’ DID YOU GROW UP IN? is a neat Washington Post interactive. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About The History Of Technology.

How to Use Twitter is a great guide from one of The NY Times social media staff. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Beginning To Learn What Twitter Is All About, which is a list I definitely need to cull.

11 Essentials for Excellent Digital Portfolios is by Vicki Davis. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Developing Student Portfolios.

Teaching Students to Legally Use Images Online is a great post by Jennifer Gonzalez. I’m adding it to The “All-Time” Best Sources Of Online Images.

The Case(s) Against Personalized Learning appeared in Ed Week. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Understanding “Personalized Learning”

Understanding what doesn’t work in personalized learning is from Brookings. I’m adding it to the same list.

How Silicon Valley Plans to Conquer the Classroom is from The New York Times.

Inside Silicon Valley’s Big-Money Push to Remake American Education is from Mother Jones.

Silicon Valley Tried to Reinvent Schools. Now It’s Rebooting is from Bloomberg.

Delta Math is an online math site that lets teachers create free virtual classrooms.  You can read more about it at Richard Byrne’s blog.  I’m adding it to The Best MATH Sites That Students Can Use Independently And Let Teachers Check On Progress.

Personalized learning: The importance of teachers in a technology-driven world is from Brookings. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Understanding “Personalized Learning”

Three lessons from rigorous research on education technology is from The Hechinger Report. I’m adding it to The Best Research Available On The Use Of Technology In Schools.

Protecting Student Privacy on Social Media is from Edutopia. I’m adding it to The Best Teacher Resources For Online Student Safety & Legal Issues.

All That We’ve Learned: Five Years Working on Personalized Learning is from Silicon Schools. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Understanding “Personalized Learning”

I’m adding this tweet to The Best Advice On Using Education Technology:

The Practical Ed Tech Handbook for 2017-18 is from Richard Byrne.

Think you’re doing digital portfolios? Think again. is by Matt Renwick. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Developing Student Portfolios.

There’s a lot to unpack in this NY Times article: Silicon Valley Courts Brand-Name Teachers, Raising Ethics Issues. I’m adding it to The Best Posts & Articles Highlighting Why We Need To Be Very Careful Around Ed Tech.

Do Laptops Help Learning? A Look At The Only Statewide School Laptop Program is from NPR. I’m adding it to The Best Research Available On The Use Of Technology In Schools.

Should kids be taught in schools using Minecraft? seems like a pretty well-balanced article.

Welcome to your first day of Classroom is from Google Ed. I’m adding it to A Beginning List Of The Best Resources For Learning About Google Classroom.

No Begging Required: Teachers Share 5 Creative Ways to Fund Classroom Technology is from Ed Surge. I’m adding it to The Best Places To Learn About Education Grants.

5-Minute Film Festival: Teaching With 360-Degree Videos is from Edutopia. I’m adding it to A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On Virtual Reality In Education.

4 Ways to Upload to Google Drive is from Jake Miller. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning How To Use Google Docs/Google Drive.

Typing.com lets teachers create free virtual classrooms to teach…typing. I’m adding it to The Best Sites Where Students Can Work Independently & Let Teachers Check On Progress.

Why Do Students in Personalized Learning Programs Feel Less Positive About School? is from Ed Tech Strategies. This is why I think “personalized learning” needs to include tech AND non-tech components. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Understanding “Personalized Learning”

Personalized Learning: Modest Gains, Big Challenges, RAND Study Finds is from Ed Week. I’m adding it to the same list.

Free Wi-Fi Doesn’t Mean Safe Wi-Fi, And Neither Does Having the Password is from NBC News. I’m adding it to The Best Advice On Protecting Our Digital Info.

Many low-income families get on the Internet with smartphones or tablets. That matters. Here’s why is from The Hechinger Report. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Schools Providing Home Computers & Internet Access To Students.

Instant Virtual Field Trips is from Ditch That Textbook. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Finding And Creating Virtual Field Trips (which I just revised and updated).

Here’s a multi-article report from Education Week: Technology Counts 2017: Classroom Tech: Where Schools Stand.

Read Oasis lets teachers create a free (for one school term) virtual classroom for up to 50 students and provides tons of reading resources. Teachers can monitor student progress. I’m adding it to The Best Sites That Students Can Use Independently And Let Teachers Check On Progress.

The Histories of Personalized Learning is by Audrey Watters. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Understanding “Personalized Learning”

As More Schools Look to Personalized Learning, Teaching May Be About to Change is from NEA Today.  I think it’s a pretty good article, but others apparently disagree (Teachers’ Union Faces Backlash Over Publication on Personalized Learning is from Ed Week). I’m adding them both to the same list.

Study Finds Classroom-Response ‘Clickers’ Can ‘Impede Conceptual Understanding’ is from Ed Surge. I’m adding it to The Best Research Available On The Use Of Technology In Schools.

As ed reformers urge a ‘big bet’ on personalized learning, research points to potential rewards — and risks is by Matt Barnum. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Understanding “Personalized Learning”

Microsoft’s Presentation Translator translates presentations in real time is from TechCrunch. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About Google Translate & Other Forms Of Machine Translation.

Can Technology Change How Teachers Teach? (Part 1) is by Larry Cuban.

Virtual Reality Could Transform Education as We Know It is from Ed Week. I’m adding it to A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On Virtual Reality In Education.

Technology “Disrupting” Teaching (Part 2) is by Larry Cuban.

I’m adding this tweet to The Best Advice On Using Education Technology:

The Best Videos For Learning & Teaching About Net Neutrality:

Google Unveils New Ear Buds That Automatically Translate 40 Languages

The Best Resources For Helping Beginner ELLs Learn About Computers – Help Me Find More

The Best Sites Where Students Can Learn Typing/Keyboarding

Google Unveils New Online Safety Game & Curriculum

Google Expeditions Announces New Augmented Reality Program For Schools

The Best Advice On Protecting Our Digital Info

“Speak To Go” Could Be A Fun Tool For A Student-Centered Geography Lesson

“Sideways Dictionary” Explains Tech Through Analogies & Lets You Contribute Your Own

A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On Virtual Reality In Education