Summer break is a time when students forget most informormation about what they learned during the school year. Most students dont even expose themselves to learn anything school related during summer break. Some schools try to prevent that by require students to complete some summer, school related, projects or assignments to insure students are still learning and refresh their memory about what they learned through out the school year. These projects are either teacher designed or student-designed. In order for students to prove they are learning and understand the subject in which the project or assignment is about or related towards, and enjoy their summer break, teachers should assign student-designed projects to students to insure that they are learning during break.

Student-designed assignments are better because students have the freedom of working on their own pace. Students can plan accordingly from their own schedule. All students have personal lives and goals that they want to achieve during the break. Some may be in sports, have jobs, or other activities that could take up one's time. Plus, it is summer break, students want to feel free and have a break from the stressful school environment. Another factor is that some students work slower than others. When working in their own pace, they can take their time and not feel pressured from other students or the due dates from the teacher. Personally, I work slower then my peers and sometimes due dates from my teacher. Whenever I feel pressured about working slower than my peers, I find my self not learning or putting in much effort in my work causing me to rush and not able to enjoy learning or that subject, causing me to not learn from that assignment and do poorly in that assignment and getting a bad grade on it. When Im able able to work on my own pace, I feel a lot less pressured and actually enjoy doing the assignment, plus I can learn my own way and put in much more effort in my work. In addition, I can enjoy my summer break on my own time.

Another reason is that students can develop or find a work method that can improve their learning. It also helps students become more independent. It is common that all students can't learn in the same way, some learn different from others. When able to do the project their way, they can find or develop a work method that can help students to learn and get something out from the project. Students will be more productive when they can learn their own way. Plus when they go back to school or grow up, they will have their own ethic that works best for them to help them out in the real world or school. In addition, it also helps students to practice responsibilities and being independent. So when they go back to school, they can start off the year fully knoweleged and productive. Personally, I learn differently than my peers, and I had to find a learning ethic to help me accominate my knowledge with the rest of my class. At first, school was hard because I did not know how to get good grades. It took time, but eventually, I was able to catch up with my peers and finally understand what was being taught to me. Plus I see my self able to work independently and no longer need someone to teach me the subject again and give me extra help, I am able to do things more independently.

Finally, students are able to express their own knowledge and ideas related to the project. The main reason for schools requiring students to do summer projects, is to insure students are still learning over the long break. Therefore students can prove what they learned over the break, and express their own ideas and knowledge on the project. This can help teachers understand where their students are in the subject and help them, if needed, through out the year. Also this can be a great time to help teachers to know their students a little more personally and understand how each one of them think and understand ideas. When students are allowed to express their own knowledge, it shows what students personally learned through their work, proving that students are doing their own work. It also helps to prevent cheating or multiple students having the same answer on their work.

Although some may think that teacher-designed projects are a better option than student-designed, some may argue that with teacher-designed assignments, teachers set up due dates and a rubric of whats required on the project. Some may argue that students are most likely to procrastinate on the assignment if they choose their own dates, so having due dates through out the summer will sort of "keep students on track" to do their work and having a rubric to help those who don't know what should be on the project, but having a rubric and due dates can also make students unable to build or practice that independent work ethic and will most likely end up relying on someone to do the responsibility. However, students have lives and the teacher doesn't know everyone's schedule. By enforcing due dates, it could cause some students to rush and unable to put their own full effort, rather than actually learning and enjoying the project. Also having a rubric that details exactly what must be on the project also can increases academic dishonesty by requiring each student having similar to almost the same project with possibly the same information instead of allowing students to express their knowledge their own way.

Teachers should assign student-designed summer projects to students to insure that they are learning during their break. Allowing students to design their own project can allow students to work on their own time, practice or find a good personal learning method and express what they learned and their ideas. Students can practice responsibility and being independent. So not only are students learning whatever subject, but they are also getting long term benefits to help them personally in life.