Mexican professor receives award at ISTE Live 2026

Carlos Javier Reyna Quintero, a professor at PrepaTec Ciudad Obregón, has been recognized as one of fewer than 2,500 professors in history to have earned the EdTech Leader certification worldwide.

During the ISTE Live 2026 event, organized by the International Society for Transforming Education in Orlando, Florida, the Sonora native received a certificate in recognition of his leadership in applying technology to education.

Reyna Quintero was honored along with five other professors from Tec de Monterrey; in total, 18 professors from across Latin America were awarded during the ceremony.

The 2026 edition was the first in history to be held via a Spanish-language forum with more than 1,500 people from over 100 countries participating.

“The certification taught me to be mindful of what I was already doing intuitively: using technology for a genuine educational purpose.”

“The certification taught me to be aware of what I was already doing intuitively: using technology for a genuine educational purpose.”

ISTE+ASCD Edtech Certified Leader

The International Society for Transforming Education (ISTE) and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) are the organizations that grant the certification.

ISTE is a combination of both, resulting in an organization dedicated to promoting technology in various educational settings.

Since its founding in 1943, it has awarded fewer than 2,500 professors from around the world for their use of technology and their research-based teaching practices.

These practices include the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence to develop assessment methods and processes used in the classroom.

According to this award-winning professor and leader, Tecnológico de Monterrey shares the tools and training developed by ISTE with its faculty.

The process of becoming a global technology leader

According to the professor, obtaining the certification was a real challenge, as he had to meet 25 criteria established by the program and compile a portfolio of evidence.

Thanks to guidance from the staff of ISTE’s education department, he was able to carry out the project and become a global technology leader.

Through this project, he demonstrated how technology can be used to bridge the educational gap among his students, presenting more than 25 examples to illustrate this point.

The materials compiled includedthe use of artificial intelligence to create immersive educational experiences and the regulations governing copyright and Creative Commons content.

“I didn’t realize that the group of distinguished individuals would be so select and small,” said the professor at PrepaTec Ciudad Obregón. “It has been one of the most demanding professional and academic experiences I have ever had.”

“It was one of the most demanding professional and academic experiences I’ve ever had.”

His professional career at the Tec’s Ciudad Obregón Campus 

Carlos Reyna, who holds a degree in biomedical engineering, has eight years of experience at Tecnológico de Monterrey, where he teaches mathematics and technology-related sciences.

At the Tec’s Ciudad Obregón Campus, he also leads the Yaquibots robotics team, which has won several awards over the years.

Among them, he mentioned the Innovate 2024–2025 Award, with which the team made campus history by becoming the first to win it in the national FIRST competition during its second season of participation.

In addition to his work as a professor, he has also ventured into the music industry and released a single that he wrote, composed, recorded, and produced himself, titled Like No One.

“Although it may be difficult to connect fields as different as music, teaching, and robotics, to me, they’re just another way to show and express what I love.”

A future dedicated to education and technology

The PrepaTec professor said that, after earning his leadership certification, his goal is to share what he has learned with his fellow professors.

He talked about the need to maintain an open and positive attitude toward new and emerging technologies, highlighting that adaptation is a priority.

“We have to adapt by relying on reasoning and critical thinking,” said Carlos Reyna, referring specifically to the use of generative artificial intelligence.

Similarly, he stated that he will no longer expect his classes to be limited to a single assignment but will instead create an experience that allows his students to get the most out of them.

In addition to beginning a master’s degree in educational technology, this Sonora native will continue as a professor at the Ciudad Obregón Campus to focus on new challenges and experiences that will enrich his learning and teaching.

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