Growing up, my mother always made me and my sister complete education booklets during the summer to make sure we didn't loose all of the knowledge we gained from the prior school year. Like my mother, some schools require students to do summer projects to ensure that students continue to learn and remember what they have learned in the past. These projects are either student-designed or teacher-designed, depending on the school. Some believe that having student-designed projects is better because it gives them more freedom with their project; however, having a teacher-designed project is more beneficial. Summer projects should be teacher-designed because the teacher will be able to establish a standard for the project, their will be a smaller risk of students picking information that is not beneficial or relevant to what they have learned, and it will be more challenging for the students.

The assigned summer projects should be teacher-designed because the projects will set a standard for the teacher and the student. If the students could choose what they wanted to for the project, their would be an array of design and information. This can make it hard for teachers to grade projects or even see where students are at educationally. Having a teacher-designed projects allows the teacher to have a standard platform to grade from and see how the students are doing. Also, having a teacher-designed project makes it fair for all of the students. One student make work very hard all summer to obtain a great project and another might spend the night before the first day of school completing it. Having a teacher-designed project ensures that all of the students are putting in the same amount of time and effort to get a good grade. A teacher-designed project is better than a student-designed project because it allows the teachers to grade fairly and see how the students are doing so far and it also makes sure students are equally investing in the project.

Moreover, summer projects should be teacher-designed because it ensures that the information within the project is beneficial and educational to what the students has been learning. If the students have freedom to pick the project, they could pick things such as cars, food, games, and so forth. This may not seem too bad, but it is defeating the purpose of having a summer project, which is to keep the students learning. If the teachers pick the information in the porject, they can orient it so that the students will be either getting a refresher from what they learned the previous year or get a glimpse at what they will learn in the following year. Having a teacher-designed project prevents students from picking silly topics and makes sure that the information benefits the students in their learning transition between school years.

Lastly, having a teacher-designed summer project is better than a student-designed summer project because it will challenge the students more. With a student-designed project, the students can make it as difficult or as easy as they wish. Some students could make their projects too easy, not allowing for any education growth; other students could make their project too hard, taking away time from their summer break. With a teacher-designed project, the teacher can ensure that the project is equal parts easy and difficult, so that the students are not wasting their whole summer but are still challenged and pushed. If the project is easy for the students, they will not learn the material to their full capacity. If the project challenges them, they will learn more and feel more accomplished when they finish it.

A student-designed project may sound nice to students and parents because it is more flexible and more enjoyable for the students, but it is not more beneficial for the student's learning. Having a teacher-designed project ensures fairness by setting a standard for grading and evaluating and by students having to out in the same amount of time and effort. A teacher-designed project also allows the teacher to pick a topic or subject that is beneficial to what they have learned or will learn soon. Lastly, the teachers designing the projects allows the students to be challenged and grow in their education. A teacher designed project is all around more beneficial for students and teachers.