Science Research is a curriculum-free program that allows for an abundance of student independence. However, the most successful students are those who attempt to problem-solve on their own, but also recognize when they need further help. Assessment meetings offer the perfect opportunity for students to ask for help.
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Q: What are assessment meetings?
A: A 15-minute meeting with your teacher that occur outside of class time, but during the school day. These occur every other cycle. This time is used to discuss progress and set goals. You will have assessment meetings for all three years of the program.
How to Remember Your Assessment Meetings
Generally, students will schedule their assessment meetings during their free period, though some may choose to do it during their lunch or at the beginning/end of the school day. It is not uncommon for students to forget their assessment meetings as they happily head into their free period, the cafeteria, their first class, or home (depending on the scheduled meeting time). However, due to the nature of the program, it is crucial that students remember their assessment meetings; it can be overwhelming to enter the world of research on one's own. As such, students find it extremely helpful to receive guidance and assistance from a research-experienced teacher.
Set A Reminder On Your Phone.
Choose the following option → Repeat: Biweekly.
We recommend that you set the reminder to ping 15 minutes before the meeting occurs.
You may also find it helpful to set a reminder for your assessment meeting assignment.
Set this reminder to ping the evening before your meeting.
Let's pretend that you have an assessment meeting on June 18th at 11:40.
Look below to see the reminders we'd recommend that you set.
Create A Canvas Assignment.
This will allow you to have an actual deadline that shows up in your Canvas calendar for the specific date and time that your assessment meeting is scheduled.
Click the plus sign (circled in red).
Input the assignment details (title, date, time, course... you may even choose to link the assessment meeting form template in the details).
Click "Save."
However, be sure to submit your assessment meeting form under your teacher's Canvas assignment - and not your own - so that they have access to it during your meeting.
How to Make The Most of Your Assessment Meetings
Stay Organized.
Create an email folder titled "Potential Mentors." Whenever you reach out to a potential mentor, move the email to this folder.
Most likely, you created Google Drive folders in the beginning of the year. Make sure to use them.
This will make it easy to reference certain documents during your assessment meetings, and you won't waste time searching.
Particularly, it is important that you download each article you read as a PDF. Then, move them into a folder titled "Articles" so that you can reference them during an assessment meeting or, later down the road, in a presentation or competition.
Be Thoughtful When Completing Your Meeting Form.
Generally, the meeting form requires students to write a paragraph explaining their progress since the last meeting (include links to articles you've read, researchers you've emailed, etc.) and to set goals for the following meeting.
We recommend that you complete the assessment meeting form/assignment the night before your meeting. In this way, the information on the form will be a recent summary of your progress.
As you complete the assessment meeting form, give some thought as to what you want to talk about with your teacher.
You can write down your questions directly on the form, or simply have them in your head going into the meeting.
You don't want to forget to say something and have to wait until your next assessment meeting or an opportune moment in class to ask your teacher for help.
Set Attainable Goals.
You are setting deadlines for yourself; use assessment meetings as motivation to finish a large assignment by splitting it into many small portions. For each assessment meeting, your goal should be to complete one of those small portions.
There is no point in creating big goals. Often, it is actually regressive in that students end up procrastinating and attempting to do the entire assignment within a smaller time period.
Be Honest.
Didn't achieve one of your assessment meeting goals? Don't fret! Assessment meetings are meant to help YOU, not to punish you for missing deadlines.
This is the time to ask your teacher for help/resources, tell them about the obstacles you're facing, and get their advice.
If it seems like the goal you set was too big, work with your teacher to set a smaller goal.
Feel free to make suggestions about the program. If something isn't working for you, or you have ideas as to how to make it work better, offer up those ideas!
Just think: some students thought it would be a good idea to have a website, and here we are!
The program is relatively new, and therefore still evolving. Leave the program better than it was when you entered!
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