Growing up, we have all had to deal with the dreaded summer projects. With everyone rushing at the end of summer trying to finish them before school starts. What if you were given the opportunity to choose your project? The project would be more open to ideas rather than stuck on one topic. Summer projects should be student-designed because it motivates them to get their projects done, it allows students to express their interests, and it betters the all around process as well as the scores. This different approach can bring a whole new side to summer learning.

To begin, making these projects student-designed can motivate the students more than an assigned topic. Most students procrastinate when it comes to projects assigned over summer break because they aren't trilled on the topic or aspect. The last thing they want to do on their break from school is write a paper on a book they don't prefer. By letting the students explore their own ideas, they will put more time and energy into the project rather than brushing it off. However, this isn't the only positive aspect to this approach.

Additionally, students will get to express their interests through their projects. When students get to choose their topics they usually tend to choose things that inspire or interest them. Giving students more room to work with can open their minds to new ideas. By assigning a straight forward project, you are taking away all of the creativity. Naturally, a student will put more thought into something they know more about or care more about. While many people would agree with this idea, it is not always seen this way.

Teachers and adults may say that letting students choose their projects is out of line and a lot of extra work to grade. However, giving the students freedom of expression can better the all around process as well as the grading aspect. They can pick their own topics while still working from the teachers guide lines, making the grading process relatively the same. Grading projects that were more thought out is a lot better than grading poorly done projects that the students didn't truly care about. In addition to all of these positive points, there are many more that support.

In conclusion, freedom to express interests, motivation to get things done, and bettering the all around process and scores are all reasons why summer projects should be student-designed. If you work at a school that assigns these summer projects or even if you just agree with this position, take a stand. You can open up a whole new way of teaching. This small change in summer learning can make a big change in education. With the world changing more and more everyday, it is time for education to take it's next step in bettering this generation.