Kimberly A. Wolbers, Ph.D.

Kimberly Wolbers is an Assistant Professor of Deaf Education in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education. She earned her Ph.D. in special education with a concentration in literacy from Michigan State University.

Kimberly primarily researches writing and writing instruction of bilingual and linguistically diverse students, utilizing sociocultural theories of teaching and learning, theories of dialogue, and cognitive theories of composing to support her work. In doing so, she has created a six-component writing curriculum for deaf and hard of hearing students called Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI). Early studies of SIWI (i.e., intervention and quasi-experimental) have evidenced positive student outcomes with genre-specific traits, contextual language, conventions, editing/revising skills and reading.

In addition to her work with writing, Kimberly takes an interest in the decision-making processes of educational interpreters. Her current research examines instances when the signed or voiced expressions of educational interpreters diverge from the source language for reasons other than insufficient interpreter skill. Kimberly received her interpreter training from Lansing Community College in Michigan in 1999 and has since become a nationally certified interpreter through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).

In the past, Kimberly has taught a variety of courses including deaf education courses, writing, writing instruction, American Sign Language, and multicultural education courses. For the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program at the University of Tennessee, she is teaching language development and literacy courses. Her passion for teaching and learning, especially in the area of language, literacy and deafness, is fueled by her previous trials, tribulations and triumphs as a middle and high school teacher of the deaf.

Kimberly enjoys meeting people and visiting school programs around the world. She has experience conversing with deaf individuals from a variety of places, including the Caribbean, Europe, South America and Anglophone Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, she is part of a team, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, conducting a study in Trinidad and Tobago. Kimberly and her colleagues are examining the conditions of students with special education needs (i.e., those who are disadvantaged, those with disabilities, and those who are gifted and talented), and the current capacity of the education system to serve them.

 

 

Contact Information

Dr. Kimberly A. Wolbers
Assistant Professor
Deaf Education

A214 Jane and David Bailey Education Complex
1126 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, Tennessee
37996-3442

Phone: 865-974-2375 (v/tty)
Fax: 865-974-6302
kwolbers@utk.edu

Contact CEHHS

335 Claxton Complex 1122 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996

Phone: 865-974-2201
Fax: 865-974-8718