Multimodal Reflection Journal (lcabrer010) by

Leslie WEEK 1 - Written Response

lcabrer010 — 2025-09-02 00:41:28 UTC

A big takeaway from the reading is that bilingualism is not just “two monolinguals in one person” but it's a way of using language.

I found it interesting that monolingualism is a social idea, not a natural norm and that translanguaging shows how bilinguals use all their language skills together.

This connects to what I’ve seen in classrooms, where students are sometimes called “behind” because of tests or being told to only use English, even though using both languages could help them learn.

Leslie WEEK 2 - Written Response

lcabrer010 — 2025-09-09 04:00:56 UTC

A big takeaway from the reading is how long bilingual education has actually been around in the U.S.

I was surprised to learn that schools in the 1800s used languages like German, Polish, and Czech, and that bilingual education was actually encouraged in some places before World War I.

This connects to what I’ve seen in bilingual classrooms today. There's often a push and pull between supporting students' home languages and focusing only on English. Dual language programs gives a good balance, and it's encouraging to see them growing again.

Leslie WEEK 3 - Written Response

lcabrer010 — 2025-09-16 06:00:11 UTC

A big takeaway is that bilingual education can be either weak, focusing mainly on quickly shifting students to English, or strong like dual language programs that support students in becoming fully bilingual and biliterate over time.

I found it interesting how dual language programs not only teach language but also promote cultural respect and community involvement, which seems really important.

This connects to what I've seen in bilingual classrooms, where students would lose their home language quickly. But programs that balance both languages like the dual language ones, seem much more effective and supportive.

Week 4 - Written Response

lcabrer010 — 2025-09-30 16:33:19 UTC

A big takeaway from the reading is that Dos Puentes wants all students to speak, read, and write in both Spanish and English. The school respects all cultures and languages. Teachers also help students learn in both languages using a 50/50 model and use strategies like translanguaging to help them understand things better.

What caught me by surprised is Rebeca Madrigal used to be my teacher when I was in 1st Grade.

I have seen this in bilingual classrooms where teachers would use both languages to teach.

Week 6 - Written Response

lcabrer010 — 2025-10-21 16:32:31 UTC

A big takeaway is Dos Puentes uses arts partnerships to connect music and dance with academics, culture, and social justice, and meaningful learning experiences.

It was powerful to learn how "capoeira" is used to teach students about resistance and history through movement, making the past feel alive and relevant.

Week 7 - Written Response

lcabrer010 — 2025-10-28 15:59:07 UTC

What I found helpful in Mangual Figueroa’s article was “Lupe: La mala maestro del primer grado (The bad first grade teacher).” Ms. Capilin didn’t seem encouraging or willing to help Lupe find ways to succeed. I found it inspiring how Lupe turned that discouragement into motivation, and thought-provoking how her hard work and her mother support that led her to success and despite facing discrimination.

Two Local Organization that support Immigration-Origin Communities

Week 10 - Written Response

lcabrer010 — 2025-11-25 04:05:30 UTC

I found it interesting how much trust the school built with immigrant parents and how that helped them become educator's leaders and advocates. It stood out to me that parents were involved in real decisions instead of just small activities. I also liked the story of the shy mom who gained confidence by leading an after-school class and how the school supported families after the 2016 election.

Week 11 - Written Response

lcabrer010 — 2025-11-25 04:13:26 UTC

One big takeaway of the reading is that dual language programs, that are supposed to help all students, often end up benefiting White, English speaking kids more. I was surprised to see that things like 50:50 language rules or program design can actually make things less fair. It was good to see that teachers and parents are trying to push back and make the programs more equal.