Miguel Quinteros has spent more than a decade as a tech-savvy teacher. I am not afraid to try new things in the classroom and hope that learning will be more interesting, more intuitive, and more engaging for my students.
He took that inclination to the next level a few years ago when he accepted a position as a K-12 technical coach in a small school district in western Michigan.
Quinteros loves his job, seeks to solve problems for teachers, students, and administrators in rural, rural communities, and continues to explore ways to remove obstacles and make learning more fun and accessible to students. I am. .
And he didn’t have to give up teaching. In 2022, Quinteros’ school district, Mason County Central School District, opened a first-of-its-kind immersive room that leverages advanced technology in augmented reality and virtual reality. This allows students to deepen their learning with interactive, sensory-oriented lessons. From the trenches of World War I to volcanic eruptions to ancient Greece. Quinteros manages the district’s immersive rooms and helps bring classes to life for children of all ages.
“Right now, all I do is do what I enjoy, which is teaching,” he says. “I don’t do grading or discipline anymore.”
At every school, stalwart school staff work quietly behind the scenes to shape each child’s day. In our Roll Call series, we highlight staff members whose work, sometimes unnoticed, is essential to turning our schools into vibrant communities. This time we will feature Miguel Quinteros.
The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Name: Miguel Quinteros
Age: 51 years old
Location: Scottville, Michigan
Role: K-12 Technology Coach
Years in the field: 11 years as a teacher, then 3 years in current position
Edsage: How did you get here? What led you to your role as a technology coach?
Miguel Quinteros: Well, I’m from El Salvador. I came here for treatment when I was 25 years old, but then I had to stay in this country and find something to do. So I became a youth pastor in the Catholic Church. So I thought, “Oh, I like working with young people,” and decided to become a teacher. When I was studying to become a teacher, I had to choose a major and minor, and I chose social studies as my major and computer science as my minor. My minor was in computer science, so I focused on how to use technology in the classroom and how to do things that you can’t do otherwise.
As a teacher, I taught Spanish, computer science, and social studies to middle school and high school students, and I always used technology in the classroom. Since it was a small town, rumors spread. After the pandemic, I think a lot of technology coach positions emerged as many school districts realized that teachers needed more support with technology. So the district where I currently work actually scouted me for this position.
When people outside the school ask you what you do at an outside event, how do you explain your job?
Most of the time, I don’t like telling people what I do. Especially since I’m Hispanic, I feel like when people see me in social settings, they think I’m a migrant worker or someone who works in the field. And the moment they find out about my work, they seem to value me even more. I want people to see me as a person, not what I do.
But when I meet someone and see that they truly accept me for who I am, I begin to open up to them more. Otherwise, I’d say I’m somewhat wary of this topic. It’s sad, but it’s reality and we have to live it every day.
Let’s say you meet someone who is genuinely interested in you. If you were feeling really talkative and generous that day, how would you explain to them what your job entails?
When I say I’m a technology coach, most people are like, “What is that?” Because these are kind of new positions that have emerged. I then explain that I go into classrooms to help teachers use technology to make their classrooms more engaging. We also order technology for teachers and students: physical technology and learning apps. I provide training to teachers on how to use the technology.
And they ask more questions. If they say, “So you don’t teach kids anymore?” then I also talk about what I do when I teach younger kids. My position is very unique. Because we have an AR/VR immersive room in our district, and I run it and create content during my downtime. It is the first of its kind in a K-12 building nationwide and is available to students in grades K-12. This room has three large walls with projectors that are interactive with touch and surround sound. The floor is also interactive. It’s like virtual reality without the goggles.
I was going to school to be a teacher, so if I didn’t have that immersive room, I would probably miss being in the classroom. And I like that part, the educational side.
When did immersive rooms open in your district and what do you teach kids in that environment? what does it look like?
Immersive rooms were an initiative of the district in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. They were brainstorming ideas about how to get kids back into school after being away for so long.
So far, that goal has been achieved. We are a rural community. We don’t have that much money and our children come from very poor families and backgrounds. Many children have never been to a museum or to a cool part of a big city. With Immersive Rooms, you can basically recreate anything.
For example, you can go on an outdoor trip to the deepest part of the ocean. I have this immersive experience that starts at sea level and moves down depending on which part of the ocean you want to go to. If you want to go to a part of the coral reef or go to the depths of the ocean where it is dark and no light penetrates, you can do that. Then, once they get to the ocean, the buttons on the wall become interactive and children can take turns touching them to get information about certain aspects of the ocean. There, children come and touch the walls, interact, and learn in that way. And the room also has this fourth-dimensional aspect. If you want to incorporate coastal scents into this experience, you can upload it and smell like you’re at the ocean. There are also fans that can be activated to recreate different wind changes.
That makes the lesson more interactive. There are also other lessons where you can go to the moon and play with the moon’s gravity. There is a brick that they pull with their hands and when it falls it simulates gravity. Then let’s talk about gravity. “What would happen if we threw this brick across the earth? How fast would it travel?” And see what happens if you throw this brick at the moon, and how much slower the moon sinks. ” Next, you will learn about the phases of the moon, how it interacts with the ocean, and how it affects us and everyday life on Earth. This is really great for students.
That’s incredible. I’ve never heard of anything like that. And you’re teaching all grade levels in an immersive room?
Yes, for now, but the way it works is that the teacher schedules time with me and brings the kids. The teachers are in the classroom with me. When they sign up, they give me an idea of what they expect to see in the immersive room. And when they come, I’m preparing the lesson, and the moment they come in, boom, I’m immersed in the lesson. That’s what I like about this system.
What does a tough day look like in your role?
In some cases, you need to make sure your roster is OK. That means you have to spend a full day correcting data, correcting student names, and making sure everything is entered correctly into the system and students can access their devices. And I literally spent days repeatedly deleting duplicate students. I’m sure it will be a tough day with all the monotonous work. I like variety.
What does a really good day look like?
A great day for me is when I can do a little bit of everything. It’s when I get to meet the students, when I get to teach at least one class, when I get to interact with the teachers and help brainstorm ideas on how to do it. Can I involve my students in this learning process using an app? Teachers can also purchase what they really need on the same day.
My heart is filled when I can tell them, “I want to do for you what no one else did for me when I was a teacher.” Nobody comes and says, “What do you need? No one would say that. How is it going? ”I like to do that on a daily basis. I don’t sit at my desk if I know I’m going to have downtime. I walk to other buildings and I’m like, “Oh, Miguel, by the way,” and then they’re like, they need me for something. You can interact with the principal. When I go to a lower elementary school with children from kindergarten to second grade, I get a lot of hugs.
So a good day for me is when I’m able to serve all my clients, and in my job, my clients are students, teachers, administrators, everyone who walks through this building. Life will be better and a little lighter.
What are some unexpected ways your role shapes a child’s day?
One way is all the educational apps you use on a daily basis. If there is any problem, they call me. But if everything is going well, it’s because of my work. I think when everything is going well and everything is in place, that’s where my job is taken for granted. We use a ton of different learning apps, from Google Classroom to Clever. I am responsible for registering those apps and training the teachers.
What do you wish you could change about your current school or education system?
I hope that the teaching profession will be more respected and that teachers will have all the resources and support they need. I want politicians to spend more money. Teachers are undervalued. I hope our society understands that without teachers, no other profession exists. There are no doctors, no lawyers, no politicians, no teachers.
Also, one thing I wish they could change is expecting all students to earn the same credits. In Michigan, if you want to graduate from high school, you must earn three science credits, four social studies credits, and four ELA credits. Everyone has to have the same thing. I think that’s a serious mistake because not all children are the same. Everyone has different needs, everyone has different dreams, and everyone has a different background. We need to provide students with a variety of choices.
Just like OK, imagine this kid who hates reading and hates social studies. But he’s a hands-on guy and likes to break things down. Why not give this child a path to graduate with a high school diploma and the skills to do the specific job he or she wants?
Your role will give you unique access and insight into today’s young people. What have you learned about them through your work?
I learned how simple life is in children’s hearts and that they know the joy of living each day. When a child comes and hugs you, they mean it. If they high-five you, it’s because they want to. I am touched by the sincerity of the children and how they have taught me over and over again that life is fun and that life can be fun.
Before I became a teacher, I was in youth ministry and I was recruiting these kids, these young men, and I was like, “Here’s a fun program at church.” Please join us. ‘He looked at me and said, ‘What fun?’ Your fun or my fun? I said, ‘That’s a really great question.’
That child changed my life because when I became a teacher, I always kept that in mind. The question that still echoes in my head is, “How fun would that be?” Is it your pleasure or mine? Learning doesn’t have to be boring. It should be fun. And that’s my passion, to make learning so fun that students have so much fun that they don’t even realize they’re learning.
That’s what I like about students. Sometimes they may challenge you or ask you questions. And we can learn a lot from young children if we listen to them. I learned a lot from them.
