Jennifer

Holm

Jennifer Holm is on a mission to research and implement effective problem solving in the classroom.

Currently pursuing her doctorate with a focus on mathematical education, Holm is working with local teachers to develop techniques that will better enable students to learn math.

Holm is no stranger to the field; in fact, she herself was an elementary-level math teacher for six years. As such, she came into graduate studies with more than a few ideas of what did and did not work in mathematical instruction. However, she reflects that this higher education has opened her eyes to new possibilities and strategies that will certainly supplement her pedagogy. She found a mathematics research class at the masters' level to be particularly informative: "It really reinforced some of my own ideas and inspired me with new ones that made a lot of sense, but which I had never experienced."

Through her program, Holm has also been invited to collaborate on some fascinating research initiatives. She worked closely with her supervisor on a project for CRYSTAL (Centre for Research in Youth, Science, Teaching, and Learning) which examined the mathematical knowledge of voluntary teachers and tracked their progress in knowledge and teaching performance. Through her participation, she had ample opportunities to present, travel, and collaborate on publications. She also had the opportunity to participate in an AERA conference (American Educational Research Association) in San Diego and work with educators and mathematicians at the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences.

Holm has found the opportunities in her program to be phenomenal. In particular, the generous funding allotted for conferences has allowed her to stay current in her field and enhance her presentation skills. However, Holm has found that the best resource Lakehead has to offer is the faculty and staff:

"Their knowledge and support has been immeasurable for allowing my growth in the field of teaching and research."