[ Recently/This summer/Last month/This weekend/Over the break…], I participated in a profession , I had the opportunity to participate in a professional learning experience with [Name the sponsoring organization or program: e.g. LUTE-STEM/Noyce-STEM/Scratch in Practice/Facing History/The Danielson Group/The New York City Writing Project/Stem4All…] at [Name the institution the organization or program is associated with: e.g. Lehman College/MIT…]. I learned a lot about [Make a list of the educational theories and practices that you were introduced to in these workshops.]Throughout this program, I gained valuable insights into incorporating Scratch, a block-based coding platform, into our classroom this coming September. Coding is becoming a crucial skill in today's technological world, and I firmly believe that Scratch can offer our students a fun, creative and engaging way to learn those computational thinking and problem-solving skills.

There was a lot to think about and to consider how to apply in the classroom, and in this letter I’d like to focus on [choose one topic, theory, approach, or idea that you think is important] because [Write a few sentences to explain why you have chosen this. What makes it urgent to try out? What was your own experience in learning this? What do you want students to learn? What is it about your students that makes this particularly apt? Why do you think this will be effective?] I suggest conducting a Scratch activity once or twice a week where students use Scratch to create interactive stories or games based on the lesson's objectives. This activity can be done in a computer lab setting or on a laptop, and it should not take more than 45 minutes approximately to complete.

I would like to propose that we [Describe the learning activity that you want to do with the students. Write this brief overview of the task in one or two sentences. This should be an activity conducted in a school setting with one or more students. It should take between 15 and 60 minutes to complete.] To implement this activity, students will need access to internet connected computers or tablets with Scratch pre-installed. Scratch is a student-friendly platform, and students can easily bring their ideas to life.

To do this we will need [Make a list of the materials you will need. Your activity can be unplugged or computer/tablet based activity/task. If computer/tablet-based, indicate types of tech tools/platforms students will use. For example: Presentation Software, Voice Recording App or Web Site, Image Library, Video Recording App or Web Site.] During the activities, students will have the freedom to choose the characters (sprites), settings (backdrops), and events in their stories or games. This freedom will allow them to express their creativity and interests and demonstrate their understanding of the lesson objective while learning coding concepts.

The students will be making [Be specific about the modes and media you will have available for student to use. What choices will they be able to make? What media do you expect students to use in this activity?] Students will be creating an original animated story or game using Scratch, demonstrating their creativity and programming skills.

Here’s how I think we might To introduce this activity. We could give these directions to the students:

[Write the , teachers must provide explicit step-by-step directions you will be giving to the students. Be sure to write this section to the students: e.g. First, you should… After that, you will see that… Tell the students when they will be expected to work alone and when they will need to work with other students.], guiding them on how to use Scratch and encouraging them to experiment with different sprites, backdrops, and codes. Teachers will create small group activities to encourage collaboration, providing students the opportunity to work together and learn from one another.

I would also propose that the After completing their projects, we can have students give each other feedback on their work. They could use this checklist to self-assess and to give each other feedback:“grows and Glows” using a checklist that assesses specific criteria. This feedback process will foster a growth mindset and encourage students to revise and improve their work while embracing feedback positively.

This activity should take at least [add the number of minutes it will take here] to complete, which should allow time for productive struggle. To encourage persistence, I think we might [Describe how you might encourage students and give them opportunities to revise and resubmit their work.] I believe with this activity students will not only benefit from the introduction of coding but also will promote important skills such as critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and communication. By embracing technology in the classroom, we can prepare our students for the digital world they will encounter in the future.