Vanessa Gonzalez
Elmwood Park,IL
Summary
Instructional Designer with eight years of experience specializing in eLearning, corporate training, curriculum development, universal design principles, continuous development, and Articulate 360. A proven track record of developing and enhancing training programs and curriculums for large organizations. Adept at identifying learning needs and training approaches for industry professionals. Seeking opportunities to apply instructional design expertise and training acumen for a forward-thinking, innovative organization.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Instructional Coordinator
LearnWell Health Services
07.2024 - Current
- Provide academic support to 80-100 adolescent, school-age patients in a small classroom setting as they receive treatment for severe mental trauma.
- Collaborate with medical professionals to leverage learning elements as a treatment or diagnosis tool.
- Monitor and adjust curriculum to highlight patient progress through comprehensive clinical documentation.
- Administer assessment reports to identify student capabilities.
- Understand the effects of treatment plans on student learning behaviors to better align curriculum to individual needs.
- Conduct applied research and participate in the advancement of the learning field in patient care settings in collaboration with medical staff.
- Utilize learning management systems and software tools to organize content, track learner progress, and enhance instructional materials.
- Maintain ongoing relationships with hospital staff, guardians, and parent organization regarding change initiatives.
- Support Program Director and Program Faculty towards achieving program goals.
- Retain strict certifications regarding patient confidentiality, conflict resolution, crisis response, patient care, and hospital best practices.
- Developed instructional materials aligning with healthcare standards and adult learning principles.
- Collaborated with subject matter experts to enhance curriculum content and delivery methods.
- Evaluated and implemented assessment strategies to measure learner outcomes effectively.
- Facilitated training sessions for 50-100 educators, promoting best practices in instructional design.
- Analyzed feedback from program participants to drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Led cross-functional teams in developing innovative educational programs tailored to client needs.
- Mentored junior staff on curriculum development processes and effective teaching techniques.
Instructional Designer
Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)
05.2025 - 08.2025
- Coordinate with instructional designers and product development teams to develop curriculum, courses, and eLearning products for energy grid control room operators, optimizing content and training materials.
- Facilitate onboarding training strategy enhancements with resident instructional lead to enhance learner content retention and satisfaction.
- Analyze student progress and identify opportunities to improve product features and training materials, resulting in a 15% increase in operator course approval and NERC certifications.
- Align with subject-level matter experts to integrate universal design principles across all courses and learning formats to ensure the accessibility of content for both onboarding and continuous learning training programs at MISO.
- Provide and receive alpha and beta testing feedback across learning and development vertical team.
- Utilize learning management systems and Articulate Storyline to create training scripts, video segments, and instructional guides for adult learners.
- Synthesize data associated to MISO energy's footprint to recommend strategic initiatives to company executives.
- Designed and developed engaging e-learning modules utilizing Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate.
- Collaborated with subject matter experts to create effective training materials aligned with organizational goals.
Content Consultant
District 65 Curriculum Consultant
06.2023 - 07.2024
- Implemented current educational research, trends, and best practices related to MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports), SEL (Social-Emotional Learning), Science, and I-Ready Math into the district curriculum for 50-100 educators.
- Collaborated with subject matter experts and other team members to design comprehensive curriculum resources.
- Created detailed lesson plans that aligned with curriculum standards and learning objectives.
- Developed pacing guides to ensure a coherent progression of content throughout the school year.
- Built resource libraries with supplementary materials (e.g., worksheets, activities, multimedia) for educators.
- Communicated effectively with team members, regularly updated progress and sought feedback.
Grade 5 Instructor
Dr. Martin Luther King Fine Arts Magnet School
08.2020 - 06.2024
- Planned and created short- and long-term lessons, curriculum, and projects.
- Designed engaging learning materials to enhance student success and developed performance metrics to measure student progress.
- Conducted a performance gap analysis to assess current operating states and prioritize improvements.
- Worked through obstacles, learned new strategies, collaborated with co-workers, and set individual goals to improve student and organizational performance.
- Performed one-on-one coaching with stakeholders that required customized training tailored to individual learning types.
- Collaborated with colleagues to share best practices.
- Planned, coordinated, and executed events for over 200 attendees—including vendor management, marketing promotions, and event itineraries.
Short-Term Substitute Teacher/Paraprofessional
Elmwood Park School District
11.2019 - 03.2020
- Developed and implemented lesson plans aligned with curriculum standards for about 50-100 students.
- Adapted instructional strategies to meet diverse student needs effectively.
- Collaborated with colleagues to enhance teaching methodologies and student engagement.
- Managed classroom environments, ensuring safety and fostering positive learning experiences.
Non-Profit Organization Representative
Northeastern University Chicago Gear Up Alliance
11.2013 - 08.2019
- Developed and implemented outreach strategies to enhance student engagement in educational programs for 50-100 high school students.
- Coordinated workshops and events to promote academic success among underserved populations.
- Collaborated with community organizations to establish partnerships supporting program objectives.
- Trained and mentored new staff on program protocols and best practices for student support.
- Analyzed participant feedback to refine program offerings and improve overall effectiveness.
Education
M.S. - Instructional Design & Technology
Purdue University
Lafayette, IN08.2025
Bachelor of Arts - Elementary Education
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL2014
Skills
- Education Software: Articulate Storyline 360, Google Classroom, Canvas, PowerSchool, Adobe Captivate, Powtoon, Camtasia, Moodle
- Office Software: macOS, Windows, Microsoft Office Products (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook), Google Applications
- Databases: MySQL, MongoDB, Salesforce
- Frameworks: Flask, React, Bootstrap
- Languages: Python3, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, Tailwind
- Tools: VS Code, GitHub, Sublime Text, MySQL Workbench
- Educational technology
- Multimedia integration
- Organizational performance
- Student engagement
- Multimedia integration
- Organizational performance
Certification
- Professional Educator License - Illinois State Board of Education
- Summa Cum Laude - Purdue University
- Magna Cum Laude - Northeastern Illinois University
- Full Stack Developer Certification - Coding Dojo
- Articulate Storyline Endorsement - Purdue University
- Interactive eLearning Endorsement - Purdue University
- Website Development Endorsement - Purdue University
- Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Cert. - Crisis Prevention Institute
- Golden Apple Scholar - Golden Apple Institute
Timeline
Instructional Designer
Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)
05.2025 - 08.2025
Instructional Coordinator
LearnWell Health Services
07.2024 - Current
Content Consultant
District 65 Curriculum Consultant
06.2023 - 07.2024
Grade 5 Instructor
Dr. Martin Luther King Fine Arts Magnet School
08.2020 - 06.2024
Short-Term Substitute Teacher/Paraprofessional
Elmwood Park School District
11.2019 - 03.2020
Non-Profit Organization Representative
Northeastern University Chicago Gear Up Alliance
11.2013 - 08.2019
M.S. - Instructional Design & Technology
Purdue University
Bachelor of Arts - Elementary Education
Northeastern Illinois University