Learning design
Courses, lessons and assessments built on how people learn: clear objectives, scaffolding, practice and feedback, for K–12 and adult learners alike.
Instructional DesignerLearning SpecialistCurriculum Developer
Learning experiences built on how people actually learn.
Learning designer and content specialist with 7+ years across edtech, publishing and research. I create intuitive, empathetic learning experiences grounded in learning science, build AI-assisted workflows that keep content accurate at scale, and turn complex ideas into something any learner can follow.
West Palm Beach, FL · Remote · Open to new roles
- digital exam-prep courses developed, 35+ already live
- 70+
- digital exam-prep courses developed, 35+ already live
- lessons reviewed for an international curriculum
- 200+
- lessons reviewed for an international curriculum
- curriculum units written in a CMS
- 60+
- curriculum units written in a CMS
- live and in-person lessons taught
- 600+
- live and in-person lessons taught
Roles I'm built forInstructional DesignerLearning Experience DesignerCurriculum DeveloperLearning SpecialistContent SpecialistAI Training & Evaluation
01What I bring
A teacher’s instincts, production-ready habits.
Years in front of learners taught me where people get stuck and how to meet them there. Years in edtech and publishing taught me how to design, ship and improve content that fixes it, at scale.
Content operations
Drafts to launch: coordinating SMEs, editors and engineers, running QA, and building AI-assisted workflows for audits and gap analysis.
Media & facilitation
On-camera video lessons, live virtual facilitation and storytelling that has reached millions of viewers.
02Selected work
Curriculum & courses
Standards-aligned lessons, units, textbooks and full digital courses, built for K–12 classrooms, international curricula and adult learners.
Achievable
2025 – 2026
Worked across 70+ digital exam-prep courses, with 35+ live so far
Content Specialist
- Led cross-functional workflows across SMEs, editors and engineers
- Built AI-assisted workflows for content audits, gap analysis and assessment review
- Ran pre- and post-publication QA on accuracy, alignment and interactivity
Courses I helped build
Course productionQAAI workflows
Alpha Publishing
2024 – 2025
Wrote the biology textbook for a curriculum serving the Middle East & North Africa
Senior Content Editor, Biology
- Led the writing team and reviewed 200+ lessons in the CMS
- Checked accuracy, accessibility and standards alignment
- Coached writers on scaffolding, explanations and terminology
TextbookEditorial leadAccessibility
Legends of Learning
2023 – 2024
Filmed the video lessons behind their science learning games
Video Creator
- Wrote and recorded on-camera science explanations used inside game-based assignments
- Worked with the design and editorial team so each video matched the lesson's standards and goals
- Credited by name in their science library, where teachers assign my lessons for TEKS, NGSS and other state standards
Video productionOn-camera instructionScience communication
Accelerate Learning (STEMscopes)
2022 – 2023
Wrote 60+ biology and Earth science curriculum units
Curriculum Developer
- Scaffolded lessons and assessments aligned with NGSS and TEKS
- Developed and organized units directly in the CMS
NGSSTEKSAssessment
Open the artifacts
Student booklet · 8th grade
Unit 1: Motion in the Universe
A complete phenomenon-driven unit booklet built around one question: how can we change the motion of an asteroid heading toward Earth?
Live virtual lesson · Varsity Tutors
Wildlife Creature Club: Sneaky Serpents
Slide deck for an interactive enrichment class on snakes, designed for live facilitation and quick knowledge checks.
Research presentation
Caudal Damage & Predation in Saltmarsh Snakes
Undergraduate field research on Nerodia clarkii, presented to a scientific audience.
03On camera · Legends of Learning
Science video lessons for Legends of Learning
Every video here comes from my Legends of Learning contract. I researched, scripted and hosted on-camera science lessons for their learning game platform, where teachers assign them alongside games to cover TEKS, NGSS and other state standards.
Live on Legends of Learning, credited to Rebekah Calleja
04Published & featured
Science communication, in print and online.
Contributing writer for REPTILES Magazine since 2017 (bylined as Rebekah Pettit), featured video host for Legends of Learning, and creator of the Zoospiracy podcast.
Legends of Learning
Artificial Selection via Selective Breeding
On-camera video lesson · used in TEKS & NGSS-aligned assignments
Legends of Learning
Heat as Energy Transfer
On-camera video lesson · conduction, convection, radiation
Society for Science
2023 STEM Research Grant recipient
Awarded classroom science equipment
REPTILES Magazine (print)
Caring for Morph Turtles
Feature · January/February 2025 issue
REPTILES Magazine · selected
All 35+ articles ↗- 2024Aquatic Turtle Tank Water Changes Made EasyStep-by-step guide
- 2022Ball Python History, Care and BreedingFeature
- 2021Red-Footed Tortoise Care and BreedingCare guide
- 2019Six Studies on Reptile “Intelligence”Research explainer
- 2019Amphibians and the Fishless Ponds of FloridaEcology
- 2018Marine Reptiles of the WorldNatural history
- 2018The Reptilian Biological ClockScience explainer
- 2018Conservation Success Story: The American AlligatorConservation
- 20185 Popular Ways to Find Reptiles and Amphibians in the WildField methods
- 2018Mangrove Saltmarsh Snake: Herpetofauna Field MethodsResearch narrative
Podcast
Zoospiracy
My original podcast: writing, hosting and voicing science stories about the animal world.
05Experience
Where I’ve done the work
2026 – Present
Generalist AI Trainer · Mercor
Structured feedback and evaluation of AI-generated content.
2025 – 2026
Content Specialist · Achievable, Inc.
Worked on 70+ exam-prep courses (35+ live), cross-functional workflows, QA and AI-assisted audits.
2024 – 2025
Senior Content Editor, Biology · Alpha Publishing
Wrote the biology textbook; led review of 200+ lessons.
2023 – 2024
Video Creator · Legends of Learning
On-camera video lessons for a science learning game platform.
2022 – 2023
Curriculum Developer · Accelerate Learning
60+ NGSS/TEKS-aligned units.
2020 – 2022
Virtual Instructor · Varsity Tutors & Minecraft Education
200+ live virtual classes with interactive checks.
2018 – 2025
Science Teacher & Grade-Level Lead · Palm Beach County Schools
400+ inquiry-based lessons; mentored peers on curriculum alignment.
2017 – Present
Contributing Writer · REPTILES Magazine
35+ published articles on biology, conservation and care.
Education & credentials
- B.S. Biology, Zoology concentration — Palm Beach Atlantic University
- Florida Educator Certification, Biology 6–12
- Palm Beach County Schools Reading Endorsement
- K–12 Literacy Micro-Credential — University of Florida
Awards
- Society for Science STEM Research Grant (2023)
- SUGAR Undergraduate Research Participant
Platforms & tools
CMSCanvasBlackboardArticulate StorylineRiseCanvaFigmaVimeoAdobe Acrobat ProAsanaGoogle WorkspaceMarkdownLaTeXChatGPTClaude
Also: visual content & brand design
Let’s build learning that sticks