Rachel Bowens
Educational Development Specialist
Wyandotte,MI
Summary
Educational Development Specialist with over 10 years of experience in education and training, including middle school teaching, corporate learning, and faculty development in higher education. Currently supports instructors through consultations, workshops, and resource development focused on course design, accessibility, and student engagement. Skilled at adapting instructional strategies across contexts and learner needs.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Educational Development Specialist
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
11.2023 - Current
- Provides individualized consultations to faculty across disciplines on course design, teaching strategies, assessment, accessibility, and educational technology.
- Designs and facilitates faculty development workshops, training sessions, and learning communities focused on effective and inclusive teaching practices.
- Develops instructional resources, guides, and videos to support faculty use of Canvas and other teaching and learning tools.
- Supports the Mid-Semester Assessment Program through survey preparation, qualitative analysis, and collaborative feedback discussions with instructors.
- Supports instructors in designing and refining courses across in-person, online, hybrid, and asynchronous modalities.
Instructional Designer
Health Alliance Plan (HAP)
Troy, MI
03.2022 - 11.2023
- Planned and monitored implementation of technology-based learning programs.
- Developed assessments and user polls to evaluate course effectiveness, altering content and delivery to achieve student learning goals.
- Designed course materials and supported implementation.
- Contributed to development of comprehensive employee training courses.
- Facilitated virtual, in-person and blended learning sessions.
4th-6th Grade Teacher
Creative Montessori Academy
Southgate, Michigan
10.2021 - 03.2022
- Created and adapted lesson plans to teach all necessary grade levels (K-11th).
- Proctored standardized tests in an efficient and timely manner.
- Analyzed data from multiple sources to drive instructional practices and lesson planning.
- Utilized technology to create fun and engaging lessons for students.
7th/8th Grade Math and Science Teacher
Franklin Middle School
Wayne, MI
12.2018 - 10.2021
- Taught 7th grade science and accelerated science in class sizes from 20-37 students using NGSS aligned curriculum and strategies.
- Taught 7th and 8th grade math foundations in class sizes from 18-25 students.
- Used data from a variety of sources in order to build curriculum that helped fill learning gaps in math.
- Organized and facilitated the STEAM club.
- Won and participated in the Wayne RESA Makerspace grant with a co-teacher.
- Took part in the school's PBIS team and helped create materials to provide support for students and staff.
Vendor Analyst/Trainer/Knowledge Manager
Quicken Loans
Detroit, MI
06.2014 - 09.2018
- Confirmed that processes within operations aligned with investor guidelines.
- Ensured that all team members had a clear, concise way to find information necessary to meet expectations of their specific role.
- Wrote decision making questions and answers in an interactive platform that walked team members through a variety of scenarios to find an exact answer to a question.
- Communicated with a variety of teams to make sure all information accessed by team members aligned and was applied.
- Facilitated workshops with other trainers to help them with curriculum building and facilitation.
- Facilitated highly impactful training classes to a variety of learning styles.
- Identified training opportunities outside of the day to day training schedule and provided additional help.
- Built out curriculum to provide tiered, engaging classes that adhered to objectives.
4th Grade Teacher
Lincoln-King Academy
Detroit, MI
08.2013 - 05.2014
- Planned, wrote, and taught daily lesson plans for 4th grade math, science, and writing.
- Planned inquiry based hands-on lessons to increase student engagement, motivation, and growth.
- Analyzed and used NWEA test data to differentiate instruction.
- Tutored at risk students in math and ELA.
7th Grade Science Teacher
Country Place Elementary School
Avondale, Arizona
07.2012 - 06.2013
- Planned, wrote, and taught daily lesson plans for 7th grade science.
- Analyzed and used test data to implement lessons geared toward student needs.
- Planned and taught a math intervention to help struggling students improve their basic skills.
- Participated in the TAP program for sustained and meaningful improvement in student performance.
- Included reading/writing and math strategies in everyday science lessons to strengthen students’ cross-curricular growth (Math benchmark scores increased from 53.85 percent passing to 75.64 percent passing; ELA benchmark scores increased from 76.92 percent passing to 91.03 percent passing).
- •Participated in a 45-hour ESL program to gain knowledge and implement reading/writing strategies vital to success for ESL students.
Education
Master of Education - Curriculum And Instruction
Concordia University-Portland
Portland, OR 05.2014 - 05.2015
Bachelor of Science - Elementary Education
University of Michigan - Dearborn
Dearborn, MI 01.2007 - 04.2012
Skills
MS Office
Canvas
Timeline
Educational Development Specialist
Wayne State University
11.2023 - Current
Instructional Designer
Health Alliance Plan (HAP)
03.2022 - 11.2023
4th-6th Grade Teacher
Creative Montessori Academy
10.2021 - 03.2022
7th/8th Grade Math and Science Teacher
Franklin Middle School
12.2018 - 10.2021
Vendor Analyst/Trainer/Knowledge Manager
Quicken Loans
06.2014 - 09.2018
Master of Education - Curriculum And Instruction
Concordia University-Portland
05.2014 - 05.2015
4th Grade Teacher
Lincoln-King Academy
08.2013 - 05.2014
7th Grade Science Teacher
Country Place Elementary School
07.2012 - 06.2013
Bachelor of Science - Elementary Education
University of Michigan - Dearborn
01.2007 - 04.2012