I am so excited to share a behind the scenes look at our most recent HEC-TV Live! shoot. Last week, HEC-TV Live! partnered with best-selling author Ridley Pearson to present a writing workshop to students at St. James the Greater school in Dogtown.
HEC-TV Live! Host Tim Gore introduces the program
What is so special about this workshop is that HEC-TV was able to extend this educational opportunity to schools all across the country through a live two-way television and web broadcast. Forty two student groups from 17 states tuned into our interactive program to hear all about Pearson’s job as a writer!
Naturally, Pearson did a fantastic job engaging the students and viewers with a descriptive and humorous narrative. He shared a special memory with the kids about a train trip through Thailand when he was a young adult. Everything was great on this journey through the foothills of the Himalayas until the train unexpectedly got stuck trying to get over a mountain. Described as the “little train that couldn’t,” Ridley and 200 other passengers had to get out in the middle of the jungle and help walk the train over the mountain. “That is what writing a story is like,” Pearson told viewers. “It starts out great, but by the end you have to push your way to the top.”
Pearson also had the students participate in critical-thinking exercises to stimulate the skills necessary in telling a story. He showed the image below and pointed out that the back dots that you see do not actually exist.
“My job as a writer is to see the black dots.” – Ridley Pearson
Pearson used this optical illusion to demonstrate what goes into the observation/research stage of writing. He explained that his success as an author comes from his ability to see the suspense in things (black dots) and go into a more interesting place than everyday life to tell a story.
Following the workshop, Ridley took photos and signed autographs for the St. James kids.
This was my first time to attend an HEC-TV Live! shoot from a classroom setting, and it was so captivating to witness the children interacting in person with Pearson. I had a chance to talk to some of the kids afterward and it was apparent that the workshop was a very exciting and inspiring experience for them. My hope is that our program provided a platform for them to understand how the things they learn in school can be applied to life outside the classroom.
It was a pleasure to meet Ridley Pearson; he is truly a person who is committed to contributing to the future of education in our society. I am honored to be a part of an organization that uses its talent and resources to provide a world-wide outlet for such unique and valuable learning opportunities.
The full video of HEC-TV Live! Inside the Artist’s Studio: A Writing Workshop with Ridley Pearson will be posted soon on the HEC-TV website. Until then, you can catch this segment of Impact that HEC-TV aired in October about a non-profit organization that Pearson established here in St. Louis.
Click the photo to view video
Photos Courtesy of Pete Foggy
