Jennifer Ward Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA

Jennifer Ward is currently an Assistant Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Mathematics Education  and Elementary Undergraduate Program Coordinator at Kennesaw State University. Jennifer earned a BS in Elementary and Special Education and a MA in Early Childhood Education from the State University of New York at Geneseo. During her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction (with a dual focus in Early Childhood and Mathematics Education) at the University of South Florida, she became interested in social justice mathematics for young children. Her work centered around her experience as an early childhood teacher designing and teaching MfSJ lessons with children ages 3-8. Jennifer has been a teacher in classrooms from Prekindergarten to high school, with the majority of her work in Kindergarten and First grade classrooms.

 As an instructor of P-2 methods, university supervisor, and mother of two young girls Jennifer sees the ways issues of social justice and mathematics are taken up (or fail to be) in school spaces. These experiences help Jennifer to conceptualize ways that early childhood (mathematics) teachers can bring authentic, real world issues and mathematics into classrooms where children can unpack them and use their voice and power to call for change.