Schools mistake technology for education. Our kids are paying for it. |
Last week, I picked up two of my kids from school and asked about their day, like I always do.
“We spent almost an entire class period trying to log into Canvas!” one of them bemoaned.
Ah yes, Canvas – that technological wonder used by some 9,000 schools and 275 million people – helps parents, students and teachers facilitate learning both in class and at home.
Canvas was recently hacked, temporarily crippling the portal. The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach and threatened to leak users’ data unless schools paid a ransom by a specified date. Instructure, Canvas’s parent company, said in an online post that it reached a deal with ShinyHunters, which agreed to delete the stolen data.
The disruption locked out students and teachers alike, stalling education while kids just learning algebra and English spent hours resetting passwords and accounts simply to access classwork. Apparently, Aristotle and Albert Einstein knew nothing, and education can only happen with a device and Wi-Fi.
Godspeed to the folks resolving the Canvas hacking issue, but the episode perfectly captures a broader trend: a world growing increasingly dependent on technology, especially in schools. It’s hurting our kids and making educational progress far more complicated than it needs to be.
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