Kara Blevins

Professor Miller
EDU 210
11/11/20
Article Critique #2

The development of technology for educational purposes has flourished since the mid-

1970s. Since then, technology has been used in special education in many different ways. After

reading the article, “The Potentials of Using Mobile Technology in Teaching Individuals with

Learning Disabilities: A Review of Special Education Technology Literature” I feel as though I

have learned about the role of technology in special education and the advances technology can

bring to the classroom. This article also brought insight into how technology can only help

students as much as teachers allow it. This means as teachers or future teachers, it’s our job to

have a positive outlook on technology and put in the effort to learn how to use it!

This article discusses numerous things about technology within special education, one of

which being that a lot of technology wasn’t even designed for more educational purposes. One

quote from the text that supports this reads, “Tablet devices and their applications were not

exclusively made to be an assistive technology tool for learning disabilities, but educators found

a way to integrate them into special education settings” (Qahmash, 2018). This shows that

educators have played and continue to play a huge role in how technology gets used in special

education. The article goes on to discuss how technology can be modified for students learning

needs and how they are referred to as assistive technology (AT). These items can range from low

tech (flashcards and things that don’t require batteries or electricity) to high tech (computers,

tablets, and software programs). Recent studies have shown that tablets have become the most

popular AT tool, for example, “The teachers and assistants asserted that the tablet devices,

namely iPads, have a strong influence on increasing students' engagement because they provide

innovative and creative learning environments that attract students' attention and keep them
Kara Blevins
Professor Miller
EDU 210
11/11/20
engaged during learning activities” (Oahmash, 2018). Overall, if the teachers are willing to learn

the technology for their students, their students will likely be more engaged during class.

Besides having some teachers who aren’t willing to learn the technology or who don’t

believe in it, there is also the problem of limited resources. It’s extremely hard to integrate

technology for special education students when there isn’t enough funding to purchase the tablets

or devices. It’s especially hard to integrate technology if the principal isn’t on board, for

example, “Technology will only be successfully implemented in schools if the principal actively

supports it, learns as well, provides adequate professional development and supports his/her staff

in the process of change” (Oahmash, 2018). I believe having a supportive staff who embraces

technology rather than pushing it away really makes a difference in how special education

students are learning.

In the end, technology has the potential to help so many students with special needs by

personalizing their learning experience. If a child has dyslexia they can use the text to speech

function to help them read the text thoroughly (this can also be used for writing), if students can’t

communicate verbally they can download an app that allows them to type and speaks the words

out loud if children lack the motor skills to use a keyboard and mouse-the touch screen is much

easier to maneuver, and so much more! This article reminded me that technology has the power

to help so many students with special educational needs and personalize their lesson plans. It also

made me aware that not every school is fortunate enough to have the technology for their

students due to lack of funding, principals who aren’t supportive, or teachers who simply don’t

want to learn how to do it. In conclusion, it’s time that as educators, we take the step to use

technology to give students the best opportunities to learn in the ways they need to and strive to
Kara Blevins
Professor Miller
EDU 210
11/11/20
help other teachers do so. This article showed me that the potential for tech in the classroom is

endless, it just needs to be integrated properly!

Reference: Qahmash, Adel Ibrahim M. “The Potentials of Using Mobile Technology in Teaching

Individuals with Learning Disabilities: A Review of Special Education Technology

Literature.” TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, vol. 62, no. 6, Nov.

2018, pp. 647–653. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s11528-018-0298-1