Some schools implement a summer project to continue the flow of learning, and to ensure that the students' brains retain learned information. When asked to take a position on whether students or teachers should design these projects, I chose both sides. The reasoning behind my decision was quite simple: one side is more knowledgeable when it comes to the information, and has years of experience in teaching on their side. However, nobody knows the experience of living as the secondary group more than they themselves do, so it makes sense that they would have a part in this idea.

Allow me to begin by playing devil's advocate against my own thinking. One may refute my statements with the simple argument of, "Well, students don't know how to teach, so why should they have a part in this?". One may also describe my thinking as ineffective by stating along the lines of, "Well, nobody knows how to plan exciting experiences better than the ones who have to endure them". Now, both these arguments are well rooted and difficult to counter, however that in and of itself is what lends them to my cause. The first argument supports the idea that teachers are more experienced, thus more prepared to enact such ideas and projects; the second argument then supports my secondary belief, that the students better know themselves, and can lend more than a simple helping hand in the creation of such activities.

Now that I have finished counter-arguing and rebutting, I can begin my statements. I would like to begin with the teachers. My standing on the subject is that teachers are more experienced and better suited to plan the informational aspects of a summer's project. Why, if a student knew the subject matter well enough to plan such an activity, and knew how to best teach and explain it, then they would be in no need of a project or a teacher! Yes, it is the job of the teacher to... well, teach, and it is the job of the student to learn. However, this does not exclude the student from the planning process all together.

The student is quite important, because they are the target audience. They will know, better than anyone, how to reach out and grab hold of their demographic. The student knows what is fun, boring, enticing, and annoying to them as a whole. While it is true that not all students are made equal, and what is fun to one may be dull to another, a democratic poll can be issued to help even the playing field. Alternatively, multiple projects can be issued out to different types of student, or a simple skeleton plan may be issued, with which the students may piece together their own project. Perhaps all three can be issued as a choice, with students choosing which "flavor" of project they would find easiest to follow. Yes, the student is an important piece to project design, with the teacher serving a bigger part in project management. Let the demographic choose their product.

As I finish, allow me to restate my core ideas. The teacher is an important utility in the informational and managerial parts of a summer project; however, the student plays just as important a role in the design and creational aspects. Both sides are nearly equal in importance, and choosing just one as the end all be all is not dissimilar to how American politics are carried out. Yes, it is important to have a fair balance of both sides, with each person playing to their specific strengths. Too much equality and you have a democracy that will never move forwards. Too much freedom and you have a form of communism in which there is no order to help guide everyone to the correct paths. Yes, a balance is much needed; a balance, mind you, that will never be truly found.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't try, however.