March 14, 2010
Elaine Larson
Director of Education
Agency for Instructional Technology
Elaine Larson is the Director of Education for AIT. At AIT, Elaine oversees the product development department—establishing guidelines for creation of new curriculum materials, managing special projects, pursuing outside funding for new projects, and monitoring work flow in product development.
Prior to joining the AIT staff, Elaine worked for seven and a half years as Director of Education and Outreach for South Dakota Public Broadcasting. In that role she built an instructional media service that was highly responsive to the needs of South Dakota K–12 teachers, including development and implementation of online video and print resources for educators, students, and parents. AT SDPB Elaine was actively involved in production of classroom programming, including “Electronic Adventures: The Lewis & Clark Expedition” that won a Golden Apple award from SDEA/NEA in 1998. She developed a variety of teacher resources, including the online teacher’s guide for “Wild Horses: An American Romance” (http://www.pbs.org/wildhorses) and a print and online guide for “Lost Bird of Wounded Knee,” an SDPB production that aired on PBS in 2000. She assisted the Independent Television Service (ITVS) as an advisor and writer for the viewers’ and teachers’ guides for “The Farmer’s Wife,” that aired on PBS in 1998. Ms. Larson developed SD Public Broadcasting’s Ready To Learn project and implemented a new TeacherLine project. Elaine also served as the network’s television programming director for several months before her move to AIT.
Elaine began her career as an educator, teaching high school English and social studies for three years in a U.S. Department of Defense dropout education program in West Germany. Her passion for adult education led her to earn a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration—Adult and Higher Education from the University of South Dakota. Elaine has used her expertise in adult education in various roles. She served as director of a professional development agency for health professionals in eastern South Dakota. At Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, CO, Elaine worked as a curriculum specialist, evaluating the needs of employers in the region and researching the development of a computer-assisted instruction component for the college. She was part of the team that developed the certified nurse’s aide education program for the state of South Dakota and still serves as an evaluator for that program’s “Train the Trainer” component.