Note: This article responds to EndVertex’s video “For-Profit (Creative) Software” embedded above.

In the world of edtech, our professional identities often become intertwined with the software tools we master. Many colleagues recognize me as “the Canvas expert” rather than for my pedagogical insights or learning experience design principles. This phenomenon extends far beyond education—it affects creative professionals across industries, as brilliantly illustrated in EndVertex’s video.

The video documents how 3D artists who invested years mastering software like 3D Studio Max found themselves locked out when these tools became unaffordable through subscription models or disappeared through acquisitions. The parallel to educational technology is unmistakable.

The Subscription Trap in Educational Technology

Canvas Instructure, the platform I’ve specialized in, has evolved from an educator-friendly solution into a complex ecosystem with tiered pricing and recurring costs that strain school district budgets. As districts build content, assessment structures, and workflows within Canvas, the cost of leaving increases exponentially—creating the same lock-in EndVertex describes with creative software.

More concerning, I’ve watched large state entities embrace Canvas with substantial investments in migration, staff training, and curriculum development, only to face funding instability years later. After committing their educational infrastructure to a platform requiring ongoing payments, these institutions find themselves trapped between unsustainable costs and the massive disruption of switching platforms. What began as a strategic technology investment becomes a financial vulnerability that impacts teacher effectiveness and student learning.

My own investment in Canvas expertise came through countless evenings troubleshooting integration issues, weekends learning new features, and years building trust with district technology leaders. This knowledge exists in a precarious state—vulnerable to the next acquisition, pricing change, or strategic pivot from Instructure.

The Expertise Paradox

EndVertex’s observation resonates deeply: “I was good at Max… when I didn’t have access to it anymore, a big chunk of my heart or knowledge was gone.” This expertise paradox defines my experience too. I didn’t set out to become a “Canvas expert”—it happened gradually as I developed professional development for teachers and created workflows that made online teaching manageable.

This Canvas-specific knowledge doesn’t transfer to other systems. When consulting with districts using different LMSs, I experience the same loss EndVertex described—years of accumulated knowledge suddenly inaccessible while still being expected to deliver expert guidance.

More troubling is how tool-specific expertise has overshadowed my identity as an educator and learning experience designer. My professional value became increasingly tied to a platform I don’t control.

Reclaiming Pedagogical Expertise

1) Prioritize Platform-Agnostic Design

I’ve shifted toward designing learning experiences that function in multiple environments—focusing on learning objectives first and implementation second, creating content in neutral formats, and documenting pedagogical decisions separate from technical implementation.

2) Embrace Simplicity for Sustainability

In consulting work with school districts, I advocate for simplicity over flashy features:

• Using basic HTML rather than platform-specific UI elements
• Limiting complex integrations that create vendor dependencies
• Storing content in standard formats (Markdown, HTML, PDF)
• Designing assessments with question types that exist in virtually all LMS platforms

I’ve witnessed too many districts forced to rebuild entire courses when a third-party tool suddenly changed pricing or disappeared. The most elegant learning experiences often rely on the simplest components—putting pedagogical substance over technological sizzle.

3) Develop Universal Skills

The most valuable skills aren’t platform-specific but broader competencies that transfer between systems. As both a practitioner and consultant, I advocate for educational technologists to prioritize:

• Understanding fundamental tech principles and educational technology theory
• Structuring content effectively regardless of delivery platform
• Designing meaningful assessments aligned with learning science
• Creating accessible materials that work across diverse platforms
• Building learning communities that aren’t dependent on specific tools

These universal skills provide resilience in a constantly changing technology landscape. When collaborating, I look for these foundational competencies rather than specific tool expertise. The theoretical understanding of why certain approaches work in digital learning environments is ultimately more valuable than knowing where specific buttons are located in this year’s interface.

When “Walk Away Forever” Is The Only Option

EndVertex concludes: “All we can do is walk away forever.” This resignation reflects a profound truth—once trust is broken and predatory practices established, there’s often no path to redemption. As EndVertex states: “Even if all these companies started selling their products for a dollar tomorrow, we still know their ultimate goal.”

Major LMS providers follow the same corporate playbook: acquiring competitors, shifting from improvement to monetization once dominant, creating ecosystem lock-in, and gradually replacing innovation with extraction.

What can we do? EndVertex’s practical advice applies perfectly:

• Learn universals that transfer between platforms
• Support open source alternatives that resist corporate control
• Join communities to help others transition away from proprietary solutions
• Document and share alternatives

Most importantly, recognize when it’s time to simply walk away. When a platform becomes hostile to educational values through predatory pricing or feature degradation, our professional integrity requires abandoning platforms regardless of accumulated expertise.

Final Thoughts (For Now)

EndVertex commits to being “more selective about what I choose to learn and more open to share that knowledge.” I’m making the same commitment. The true expertise in educational technology isn’t knowing every Canvas setting—it’s understanding how technology supports meaningful learning regardless of platform.

Our expertise should outlast any software platform—because learning transcends tools, and always will.