Google Teacher Academy UK 2012 - A Magical Experience

Team Biro

So... one week after the Google Teacher Academy in London, I can finally sit down and write about my experience. And what an experience it was!

I flew from Mexico a couple days before the Academy. I had severe jetlag. I had a cold. I slept about 8 hours in total between Sunday and Wednesday, the day of the Academy. But when I got to the Google offices, I suddenly started feeling a lot better. And as the day passed, I felt more and more energized.

All 50 participants were divided in different teams with strange names. I was part of Team Biro, lead by the incredible Zoe Ross. Our team was definitely diverse and international, with teachers from the UK, US, Ukraine and Mexico.

Google Canapés

We started with a fabulous breakfast. I have to mention the food because it was out of this world throughout the Academy. After that, we had a general welcome and overview. Then we had some required sessions and some optional ones. I have to say there was a very healthy balance of both, and all our time was well spent.

The general pace of the GTA was incredibly fast. But everyone was keeping up absorbing every bit of wisdom that was being shared. This showed me that this group of educators is really outstanding and they deserve to be Google Certified Teachers.

I have to recognize that the organization in this event was fantastic. Every person who was involved from CUE, EdTechTeam and Google did an incredible job creating a magical experience for the participants. All I heard were positive comments from all the teachers who attended. And I agree with all of them.

After the GTA, we all got back to our real life jobs. I think I can speak for every participant when I say that we came back energized, hyped and inspired. It was motivating to see so many passionate educators that are working to make a change in their school and their communities. I feel proud to be part of this group, and I look forward to collaborating with this new network of educators.