Hi. I’m Mike Paul. This is my About page. It’s probably not up to date and I’ve never really figured out what to put on this page, but here goes nothing.
This version is up to date as of 15 September 2022. Consider this information outdated if you’re seeing this more than six months past that date. I’ll come back to it soon.
I’m Mike Paul, the Instructional Coach for the Bullitt County Schools Specialized Programs. I have the honor of working with teachers and students in a variety of settings, including an advanced math & science program and a virtual academy.
I have been lucky enough over the course of my career to have become a Google Certified Innovator (and still have the only hole-in-one on the mini-golf course on the roof of Google Toronto) and to have co-founded the Edcamp Kentucky professional development conference.
I have worked with KDE as a math and technology consultant and presented at several conferences in and around Kentucky, including KySTE, TeachMeet Kentucky, and several EdTechTeam Summits. I was privileged to work on the writing team for the Kentucky Computer Science Standards adopted in 2018. My first national presentation will be at FETC 2024.
Education is my second career. I worked in retail sales, management, and training for twenty years. I built my first website in 1997, launched my first podcast (featured on iTunes) in 2006, and have performed live as a musician and singer for crowds exceeding 15,000 people. My articles and sites have been read by nearly three-quarters of a million people worldwide.
I am the introvert’s introvert, the geek’s geek. I am a voracious reader of all things speculative fiction, historical fiction, history, and biographies.
And comic books.
I am the kid who never said a word in school and found school totally boring & useless because none of it had any real-world application. These things drive the change I want to make in our schools.
Oh, and also to obliterate the textbook industry because information begs to be free.
I live in Louisville with my wife, Amanda (the best wifey in the history of ever), and our daughter, Lainey (who causes me to ask myself every day if I’m worthy of being the dad she deserves. Sometimes, I get to say yes, but most of the time I just have to try harder). She’s the reason I do what I do. I leave you with this quote from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey…
Galadriel:
Mithrandir… why the Halfling?
Gandalf:
…I don’t know. Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I’ve found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid… and he gives me courage.
Why Lainey? Perhaps it is because I am afraid… and she gives me courage.
ONE SENTENCE:
Mike Paul (mikepaul.com) is an educator and innovative learning coach, holding an Educational Specialist degree in educational leadership, and is a doctoral student at the University of Kentucky.
ONE PARAGRAPH:
Mike Paul (mikepaul.com) is an educator and innovative learning coach, holding an Educational Specialist degree in educational leadership, and is a doctoral student at the University of Kentucky. He was on the writing team for the first edition of the Kentucky Academic Standards for Computer Science (2018) and was selected as a Google Certified Innovator in Education in 2016. He maintains a daily blog at mikepaul.com and shares his work and the work of others with thousands across various media channels. He has consulted with districts and teachers across the state of Kentucky and co-founded the Edcamp Kentucky professional development conference. He works as an instructional coach for Bullitt County Public Schools and lives in Louisville, Kentucky.