After feeling very sorry for myself on Friday night (lessons I had taught on my placement just didn’t flow), I felt like I had won the lottery when I got the invitation to attend Google Teacher Academy in the UK on 4 April 2012. I had seen some of the other 600 video applications and was fairly sure I would never make the cut, especially once I realised educators world-wide were applying. I am thrilled and rather humbled to have been chosen, and am looking forward to making the most of the opportunity and sharing my luck as widely as I can with other colleagues and twitters.
The community is beginning to self-form already, with Simon McLoughlin kicking off a google doc of attendees today, and there is already a sign up list for meeting up the evening before the big day 
For the record, the application was in two parts, a written submission and a one minute video which can be about ‘Classroom innovation‘ or ‘Motivation and Learning‘. I chose classroom innovation. This was appropriate for me as a trainee, as I know I will be expected to bring fresh ideas to the profession.
I made my application video twice (this is the final version) after having lots of great feedback from some very generous people:
I can’t wait to get started! One of my aims is to build up a community of educators on G+ that I can share with and learn from.
Congratulations! You’re video is brilliant. I’m starting ITT in September so I look forward to getting the benefit of all your hard work this year
One thing, the G+ link is broken… would love to join the discussion there.
Hi Michael, G+ link works for me – must be because i am logged in. Do you have a G+ account? You need to activate it from a google mail account.
Jo