Language Goes To School
A podcast about multilingual education in New Mexico and beyond. We invite a wide variety of experts in the field of multilingual education to address theories, practices, policies, and issues related to multilingual education. The primary goal of the podcast is to provide a platform that brings the art and science of multilingual education from the classrooms, where it is practiced, to wider audiences. Your host is David Aram Wilson, a retired K-5 multilingual educator and currently a full-time lecturer at the University of New Mexico, where he educates future multilingual teachers.
In addition to tapping the Send a Text Message in the episode view of your podcast app, you can contact us via Facebook and Instagram @languagegoestoschool. Our e-mail address is languagegoestoschool@gmail.com. Our website is https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com. You can subscribe to the podcast by tapping Support the Show in the episode view. And please leave us a review in the show view of your app. Final sound mixing by Auphonic.com. Music by E. Grenga, C. Lawry, D. Stevens, M. McMahon/Ionics/RimoMusic. Artwork by Simon Young at Guerrilla Graphix
Language Goes To School
Ishtar Rosario Medina: Goddess of Love, War, Fertility . . . and Bilingualism
In this episode, we visit with Ishtar Rosario Medina, whose educational and personal journey has spanned Puerto Rico, New York City, Mississippi, New Mexico, and now Minnesota. She was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the tradition of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Manhattan and Queens. At the age of 7, she returned to the island. Six years later, her path took an unconventional turn when her father implemented his idea of "homeschooling": enrolling her in his college courses at the University of Mayagüez. At 13, she was majoring in physics.
Despite often excelling beyond the levels of her older classmates, Ishtar dropped out and began a series of moves across the U.S. with her father, from central Florida to community college life in rural Mississippi, to several years as a substitute teacher in Hattiesburg—all while raising her oldest child. Inspired by her mother’s love for New Mexico, she later relocated to Albuquerque, where, after 12 years of accumulating college credits, she completed a BA in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts and TESOL at the University of New Mexico. She briefly taught 4th grade at a local charter school.
A spontaneous trip to the Mall of America over Thanksgiving vacation in 2024 led to her current role teaching U.S. History in Spanish and Spanish Language Arts at the high school in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
As a lifelong bilingual learner, parent, and educator, Ishtar brings a rich perspective to discussions of bilingual education. Listen, enjoy, and learn from the stories behind her remarkable journey.
We also discuss SUP and CUP, which, in case you're wondering, are not acronyms for Stand Up Paddle and Conditional Use Permit!
Contact us!
Text: Click on Send us a Text Message in the episode view of your app
Instagram & Facebook: @languagegoestoschool
Email: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com
Website: https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com