The largest study in educational research history demonstrates that moving harms learning. But this finding is incomplete. Ota’s hopeful message is that, by understanding the issues involved in mobility and how to address them, we can harness the vast potential for growth in a life moving amongst cultures—both for our students and ourselves.
In this first presentation, Ota introduces attachment theory and cutting-edge neuroscience to explain what happens to us when we move or when people we care about move away. Across the lifespan, mobility strains mammalian brains in identical ways. We adults, like our students, need a plan to stay psychologically healthy while working in international education. Ota’s experiential presentation will help us see the internationally mobile environment as our brains experience it, while simultaneously inviting us to examine how we cope with such environments, so we can better assist the students and schools we serve.
