by A Jarman

Created on: September 27, 2008

The Role of Error

Many people would agree that as humans we learn the most from our errors in life. If we take risks or attempt the never-before-attempted, there is the chance that we will make errors or even fail. However, the greater failure would be to never have taken the risk. This principle of risk taking certainly applies to writing. It is alright to make errors if you are risking what you thought you knew in order to write to discover insight. In actuality, this is a learning experience. An error you make while exploring new mind-stretching ideas while writing can teach you to think and write better. David L. Ward talks about the importance of risk taking and error making in his English 311 class.

"They learn to make do with what they already know, learning how to comfortably ignore the challenges of present possibilities by secretly holding on to instruction, experiences, and opinions of their past. They expend effort reshaping what they know to conform with assignments required of them. In essence they deaden themselves to invitations to become more than they are by justifying themselves to themselves and to others who couldn't care less about living to enjoy greater knowledge and light." (Ward).

This school of thought is different from that of any previous writing teachers that I've had in the past. Yes, they encouraged creativity, but "responsible errors?" No way. Writing was supposed to be as perfect as possible from the beginning.
I like this idea of exploration, risk taking and allowance of productive mistakes in order to find greater knowledge. To me, students are like toddlers learning to walk. If the child's parents will not let go of her hand and let her fall every once in a while, she will never learn to walk or run or skip or pick herself back up and keep going when she falls. So it is with students. If we are never allowed to make errors in order to learn something new, we will remain immobile and un-stretched mentally.

The Role of Error

Many people would agree that as humans we learn the most from our errors in life. If we take risks or attempt the never-before-attempted, there is the chance that we will make errors or even fail. However, the greater failure would be to never have taken the risk. This principle of risk taking certainly applies to writing. It is alright to make errors if you are risking what you thought you knew in order to write to discover insight. In actuality, this is a learning experience. An error you make while exploring

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