There is a saying that goes as following: "You can take a horse to a lake, but you can not force it to drink from the lake." This saying can be applied to the way in which children are taught. A teacher can not force a child to learn new material in what the teacher considers an efficient way in teaching a student.

For example, a teacher may consider the idea of designing a summer project for their class that has the purpose of making sure that the students are still learning over the break. In that given situation, there is a better way to help the children. Coincidentally, a student-designed summer project rather than summer projects that are teacher-designed will help the children more. Summer learning projects should be student designed because it allows for the student to retain the information with more ease, feel a sense of leadership ,and the student will be more interested if they designed it.

First, student-designed summer projects are more beneficial because, it allows for the student to improve their academic skills. If the project is designed by a student they are more likely to remember it. The student will remember the information with more ease because they designed it themselves. By having a student take leadership of what they need to learn they will remember the information easier because they taught it to themselves. The student would take leadership in the form of designing their own project and what they learn therefore, they will remember it easier. Secondly, student-designed projects also, increase their critical thinking skill. By having a student design their own project they must carefully think about the project. This results in the student improving upon their critical thinking skill which is fundamental in academics.

Second, summer projects that are designed by students allows them to improve their skills. By having the student design their own project they are improving their leadership skill and the student will also be building their organization skills. With the student designing their project, they are in charge and have to take the responsibility of assuring they are learning something new. This allows the student to experience leadership and improve upon that skill. Not only will a student-designed project help the student in school but also in places that leadership is an essential skill such as the workplace, school or their community. The student would also be improving upon their organization skill. By designing a project, they have to make sure they design a rubric, a procedure and stay on track with the project making sure they do what must be done. That helps the student build their organization skill, another skill that is essential. For example, If a student designs a project in which, they complete a chemistry lab, that student must ensure they keep up with their data, procedure and much more. This enforces the student to be organized and keep up with their belongings. In summary, a student-designed project improves a students' leadership and organization.

By having student-designed projects it allows for the student to retain the information with more ease and improve their skills. Yet, a critic of a student designed project may argue that student-designed projects will be less organized due to a student not taking it as serious. However, by having the student design the project they will actually have more interest in it. If the student is given the opportunity to design the project, they will have the project focus more around what they are interested in, causing the student to take the project seriously. By giving the student the free-will to design the project, it results in an increase in their desire to complete the project and putting in more effort. For example, if a person that is more interested in science, and is given the option to read about math or chemistry, they will pick psychology because that is what they are more interested in science. This same scenario will apply to a student if given the option to design their project. With a student-designed project, allows for the student to have individuality in their project.

In the end, student-designed projects are more beneficial because it allows for the student to improve upon skills fundamental in academics, improve upon essential skills, and the student will have more interest in the project. Forcing a student to do a project does not help a student. The student is put in a rough position which creates the student to feel resentment towards the teacher and forces the student to do it out of obligation with little regard. This incidentally, does not help the student with knowledge whatsoever.

At the end of the day, is it really best to let a teacher design a project that is meant to be beneficial towards the student, if it is hurting the student ?