Projects that are assigned to students over the summer are a way for them to gain some background knowledge into the first few topics that they will be learning, or for them to obtain a grasp on content that will be used all throughout the year. Whatever information the project contains, it is best for students to be able to choose what they are doing for the project so they are able to choose something that is interesting to them. By choosing a method of completion that interests them, students will be more likely to complete the project faster, it will be easier for students to complete, and they will be more likely to complete the project on their own.

When students are given a project that is uninteresting to them, they are less likely to be interested in completing it, therefore they put in minimum effort, or leave it to be done the weeks (or even worse, the days) before it's due. By allowing students to choose how they complete summer assignment projects, they are given the opportunity to choose a method that best suits their interest and learning type. Visual learners can create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic that includes all the needed information, but allows them to learn while they look at something. People that learn best by hearing information can put together a podcast or create a video, which allows them to both be creative and learn by the style that best works for them. Allowing students to choose a method of completion, they are also able to be more creative with how the project is completed. Those who enjoy drawing and creating visual things can do so, and those who enjoy filming, photography, and putting videos together can incorporate that into their work. When kids are uninterested in things, they tend to look for others to hep or guide them, which can lead to cheating. By allowing kids to choose how they complete something, it makes it harder for them to look off of one another's papers or to split the work that is assigned. Having kids be creative forces them to do the work on their own, but, if they are interested in the method that they are using to complete their work, they'll want to do the work on their own, and won't feel like they're being forced to do anything.

All of these options also make projects more interesting for teachers to grade. They are able to watch videos, look at posters, graphs, and charts as means of seeing what kinds of information was easiest for their students to obtain, versus what they might want to spend a little more time reviewing and teaching because it was a little more challenging for students to grasp, and teachers can gauge this by how well it was displayed in their work. It also allows teachers to get to know their students a little before the year even starts. They can learn about what might interest one student more than the other, based on who drew for their project versus who created a video or cut pictures out of magazines or read books in order to write a paper. By allowing teachers to get a glimpse into what student is interested in before the year starts, they can better cater their lessons to peak the interest of each student, rather than standing at the front of the room and lecturing all class.

Although allowing students to express their creativity in how they complete their projects can be a very positive thing, it has the potential to be a hassle to teachers. Some teachers might assign summer work a certain way because they know that it has worked for their students in the past, and they don't want to change that. Other teachers might like the unity that is given by assigning each student to do their work the same way. All projects that are done the same way are also easier to grade for teachers. By doing this, teachers only have to look for certain things in the projects and have checklists, so it's a more clear "black and white" situation of did the student do it/include it, or did they not? In addition to having an easier method to grade and a shorter time period spent grading, the teacher can also be very picky and clear about how they want the assignment done or the things that they want to make sure a student includes. Teachers have the ability to do this even with student chosen projects, but having set guidelines for how to write a paper or fill in a packet are much easier and more convenient than having a student interpret what the teacher might mean.

Both teachers and students have to do some work in order for a summer assignment to be complete correctly, whether the teacher specifically assigns a paper, or gives students a checklist and tells them to hit all the bullets on it. It would be very easy for teachers to hand out packets at the end of each school year and tell kids "here. Complete this and turn it in by this date," but in reality, students need time to be creative when it comes to school work, especially when the assignment is on a topic or subject that might be new to them. Every year, kids challenge themselves by signing up for classes that they have little to no prior knowledge in, and summer assignments and projects are how they are introduced to the subject and how old information can be reinforced to them. Summer assignments are assignments that will never go away all through school, and the nine months that kids spend doing projects in school are all controlled by the teachers, so why not let students have some fun and creativity when choosing how to complete a project that is given to do during their 3 months of freedom?