Department of Inclusive Education Bagwell College of Education Kennesaw State University 1000 Chastain Road Mail Drop #0124 Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591 kzimme10@kennesaw.edu Office: 770.499.3297 Fax: 770.423.6263 ______________________________________________________________________________ EDUCATION
Ph.D Special Education, University of Florida, 2013
Emphasis: Early Childhood/Early Literacy/Early Intervention/Autism M. Ed. Curriculum and Instruction, Professional Specializations: Curriculum
Studies, University of Central Florida, Orlando, 2007
B. A. E. Elementary Education, Saint Leo University, St. Leo, 2002 CERTIFICATION & TRAINING
Florida State Teaching Certificate: Special Education K-12 Florida State Teaching Certificate: Elementary Education K-6
Clinical Training in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2013- current Assistant Professor of Special Education. Bagwell College of Education, Department of Inclusive Education, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA.
• Instruct undergraduate and graduate courses; develop online graduate certification in Autism Spectrum Disorders; develop and conduct research related to teacher preparation, preschool students with autism, and
literacy; participate in course revisions of graduate and doctoral level courses; develop collaborative relationships across department, schools, and districts.
2012-present Grant Writing:
• Project MITS (in preparation): Meaningful Interactions Through
Storybooks. Submission to Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL).
Preschool Educators. Submission to the USDOE Institute of Educational Sciences, H.B. Lane, Ph.D. & H.A. Jones, Ph.D., Co-PIs.
2008-2012 Research Assistant:
• Project Read Aloud - develop teacher in-service material for childcare teachers training in emergent literacy skills. H.B. Lane, Ph.D. & H.A. Jones, Ph.D., Co-PIs.
• Shared Story-Book Reading to Facilitate Language Development of Preschoolers with Disabilities: Data collection, coding, interobserver agreement. A.M. Orlando, Ph.D., P.I
2009-2010 Field Supervision:
• Graduate Internship (ECC 6933). Supervision of eight Early Childhood graduate- interns (K-2). Held regular conferences. Graded all assignments • Pre-Internship (EEX 4812) Supervision of eight Early Childhood
pre-interns (K-2). Held regular conferences. Graded all assignments 2010 Online Course Development:
• Evaluation in Special Education (EEX 6222) • Assessment and Diagnoses of Autism (EEX 6939)
• Diagnosing & Remediation of Reading Disabilities (RED 6548) • Nature of Autism (EEX 6939)
2009-2010 Graduate Assistant:
• Project ACE: Autism Certification Endorsement
2008 Adjunct Professor. Prepared and presented lectures to students on best practices; researched and compiled literature of specialized materials for outside reading assignments; facilitated active class discussions. Valencia Community College, Orlando, FL
2004-2008 Multi-age Classroom Teacher. Grades 2/3 in an inclusive classroom setting, students with a variety of exceptionalities. Good Shepherd Catholic School, Orlando, FL
2005-2008 Director and Curriculum Developer. Good Shepherd Math Camp, grades K-4, created and developed a summer math camp curriculum that enhanced students learning; focusing on individual needs, Orlando, FL
2002-2003 Research. Participated as a clinical teacher in pediatric research on ADHD, childhood anxiety and childhood depression, Dr. Lopez Children's
Developmental Center, Orlando, FL
2002-2004 General Education Teacher. 2nd grade, inclusive classroom setting, Saint Charles Borromeo, Orlando, FL
UNIVERSITY TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2013- Undergraduate/Graduate Course Instructor:
7720 Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (Hybrid) – Spring 2014 3304 Education of Exceptional Students (Online) – Fall 2013/Spring 2014 2008-2012 Graduate Course Instructor:
Nature of Autism (Online) – Summer 2013
Evaluation of Special Education (Online) – Spring 2013
Observation and Assessment of Young Children (Online) – Fall 2012
Impact of Disabilities on Young Children’s Learning (Online) – Summer 2012 Family-Professional Collaboration (Online) – Summer 2012
Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism (Online) – Spring 2011
Observation and Assessment of Young Children (Online) – Spring 2011 Remediation of Reading Disabilities (Hybrid) – Spring 2011
Practicum for Diagnosing and Remediation of Reading Disabilities (Hybrid) – Spring 2011
Early Childhood Curriculum and Management (Hybrid) – Spring 2010
2009-10 Teaching Assistant.
Diagnosing Reading Disability (Hybrid) – Spring 2010
Field Experience in Behavior Management and Positive Behavior Supports for Students with Autism (Online) – Fall 2010
Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism (Online) – Fall 2009
PUBLICATIONS
Manuscripts in Submitted
Zimmer, K., (submitted). Enhancing interactions with children with autism through storybook reading: A parent’s guide. Young Exceptional Children.
Manuscripts in Preparation
Zimmer, K., & Jones, H.A., (in preparation). Efficacy of caregiver training to establish joint attention of children with autism: Pilot Study. Journal of Early Intervention.
Zimmer, K. & Jones, H.A., (in preparation). Joint attention and children with autism: A review of the literature. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Zimmer, K. & Jones, H. A., (in preparation). Enhancing social development for preschool students with autism: A teacher’s guide. Teaching Exceptional Children.
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
Zimmer, K., & Jones, H.A., (October, 2014). "Increasing Joint Attention in Preschool Students with Autism Using Shared Storybook Reading". Presentation at the Council for Exceptional Children Conference and Expo, Philadelphia, PA
Zimmer, K. & Jones, H.A., (October, 2014). "Creating Emergent Literacy
Opportunities for Preschool Students with Autism ". Presentation at the Council for Exceptional Children Conference and Expo, Philadelphia, PA
Zimmer, K. (October, 2013). "Enhancing Emergent Literacy Opportunities for Preschool Students with Disabilities: A Teacher’s Guide to Reading Aloud".
Presentation at the 67th Florida Council for Exceptional Children Conference and Expo, St. Petersburg, FL
Zimmer, K. (August, 2013). "Preparing Teachers for Students with Autism".
Presentation at Creating Success for All Students through Cobb County School District, Kennesaw, GA (invited).
Zimmer, K. & Murphy, K.M. (October, 2012). ABC Analysis: Identifying how and why challenging behaviors occur. Presentation at the 36th Annual Teacher Educators for Children with Behavioral Disorders, Temple, AZ.
Zimmer, K., Jones, H.A., & Cheyney, K. (October, 2012). Using storybooks to promote language and literacy development with infants and toddlers. Poster presentation at The 28th Annual Division of Early Childhood Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MI.
Zimmer, K. (October, 2011). Enhancing emergent literacy opportunities for preschool students with autism: A teacher’s guide. Presentation at the 65th Florida Council for Exceptional Children Conference and Expo, Jacksonville, FL
Zimmer, K. & Carpenter, P. (September, 2011). Maximizing the Effectiveness of Reading Aloud in the Preschool Classroom. Presentation at the Early Childhood Conference of the Early Learning Coalition, Gainesville, FL.
Jones, H.A., Emery, A.K., & Zimmer, K. (April, 2011). Dressing up dramatic play: Including Preschoolers with Disabilities. Presentation at the Council for Exceptional Children Conference and Expo, National Harbor, MD.
Jones, H.A., Emery, A.K., & Zimmer, K. (October, 2010). Change young children’s lives through education (Project CYCLE): A distance learning program. Poster
presentation at the 27th Annual Division of Early Childhood Annual Conference, Kansas City, MO.
Zimmer, K. (October, 2010). Using Shared Storybook Reading to Increase Literacy Skills in Preschool Students. Presentation at the 64th Florida Council for Exceptional Children Conference and Expo, Clearwater, FL.
PROFESSIONAL & UNIVERSITY SERVICE
2012- Guest Reviewer for Editorial Boards, Young Exceptional Children 2012 ABC Analysis of Young Children’s Behavior.
Workshop for early childhood teachers on antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) analysis, a method used to identify how and why challenging behavior occurs in K-1 classrooms. Good Shepherd Primary Learning Center.
2011 Facilitating Oral Language and Early Literacy Skills
Workshop for early childhood teachers on strategies on how to teach young children improve their oral-language and early literacy skills
Good Shepherd Primary Learning Center.
2010 Proposal Reviewer, Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children Conference, St. Louis, MO.
2010 Assessed children with autism for University of Florida CARD Center 2009- Treasurer, Special Education and Early Childhood Doctoral Student Council,
College of Education, University of Florida
2009- Tutor students in low-income school areas in early childhood curriculum, Apopka, FL
HONORS AND AWARDS
2010-2013 University of Florida, Project RELATE: Research on Early Literacy and Teacher Education. OSEP funded Leadership grant scholar recipient
2003 Who’s Who Among American University and College Students
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
2010- Early Childhood and Special Education Association of Doctoral Students, University of Florida
2009- Council for Exceptional Children: Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, Division of Early Childhood, Teacher Education Division
2009- TASH: American Association for the Education of the Severely and Profoundly Handicapped
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
January, 2013 CARD, St. Petersburg, Florida July, 2011 OSEP, Washington, D.C. July, 2010 OSEP, Washington, D.C. January, 2010 CARD, Orlando, Florida November, 2009 TASH, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
