Summer projects are beneficial in allowing students to continue learning throughout their summer break. By working on a short essay or PowerPoint over this three month span can allow students to achieve their goals in understanding a certain subject better. However, the debate about these projects is if they should be teacher-designed or student-designed. While some may believe that teachers know more about learning than students, I believe that these projects should be student designed in order to make them more enjoyable to the students, help the students individually, and give the students a break from the typical classroom norms.

First, making these summer projects student-designed would make them more enjoyable to the students. Students know what they enjoy doing and what they do not like. At first, summer projects may sound like a hassle for students, but if they design an exciting project, they may be excited to start it and turn it in for grading. For example, when I was in the eighth grade, my English teacher assigned us a long list of vocabulary to do over the summer. My classmates and I were all dreading the 100 vocabulary words that we had to define by ourselves. However, if we were allowed to put our own spin on it and create a PowerPoint or hands-on project, then we may have been more motivated to learn the vocabulary words and retain the information in a more beneficial way.

Also, the students know what subjects they struggle to learn in. Some students have trouble in math or science, while others struggle with reading or history. By allowing the students to create a summer project that focuses directly on a subject that the student knows they need help with would be more beneficial than just a random assignment that the teacher chooses for everyone. For example, I struggle with history, so when I fall behind in class, I ask my teacher for help and he will assign me extra credit work that is based on the topic that I am struggling with. This extra credit benefits me more than just a worksheet or a quiz and I begin to actually understand the topic.

Moreover, these student-designed projects would also give the students a break from the typical classroom norms. During the school year, teachers will assign worksheets or packets of information that is used one time in the class and then never thought of again. They also use tests and quizzes to store information in the students head for a short period of time. By allowing the students to create a project that they would enjoy and is proctored to their specific learning style, could motivate the students to learn and retain the information better than they would in a typical class.

Therefore, the student-designed summer projects are the best solution to keep the kids learning, but also not overwhelm them with work. Allowing the students to create a project that they would throughly enjoy doing is not only beneficial to their learning, but also their attitude towards the school. Creating a project on a particular subject that they know they struggle with could motivate them to do better and help them develop a passion for learning. Also, swaying away from the usual learning styles that are shown in the classroom can also give the students a break while also allowing them to continue learning. Although teachers know what to teach and how to teach, the students have to have a passion for learning before they can retain any information and student-designed summer projects are the best solution.