Introduction to Power Platform
Automating Email Communication in Education
Leveraging Power BI in the Classroom
In this video by Matthew Peterson, senior trainer at Pragmatic Works, he introduces a future series for educators looking to learn Microsoft's Power Platform. For anyone in the education system looking to expand their knowledge or create new and exciting opportunities, Peterson will lead you down that path.
Matthew Peterson's series promises to be a beacon for educators seeking to harness technology to revolutionize teaching practices and consider new career trajectories. By combining his teaching experience with his expertise in the Power Platform, Peterson is poised to offer invaluable insights and tools that can transform both the classroom experience and educators' professional development. Stay tuned to Pragmatic Works for future episodes in this enlightening series.
Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on Power Platform and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.
In this video we delve into a practical application of Power Platform, particularly focusing on Power Automate, to revolutionize communication within the education sector. Matthew Peterson, a seasoned trainer at Pragmatic Works, shares an insightful tutorial on automating email communications, which can significantly ease the administrative burden on educators.
Matthew introduces a scenario that many educators can relate to – managing communication for school events. He illustrates this with an example from his personal life, where his wife, a former educator, coordinated an annual trip for 258 8th grade students. She spent considerable time each week emailing parents about the financial aspects of the trip. Matthew demonstrates how this time-consuming task can be streamlined using Power Automate.
Matthew provides a detailed walkthrough of setting up this automated system:
Matthew's tutorial underscores the power of automation in simplifying routine tasks. Power Automate, a component of the Power Platform, offers educators a tool to enhance efficiency and focus more on their core mission of teaching. By embracing such technological advancements, educators can reduce administrative burdens and improve communication processes within their institutions.
Stay tuned to Pragmatic Works for more insightful tutorials on leveraging Microsoft products to enhance productivity and streamline workflows in various sectors, including education.
In the third episode of "Power Platform for Educators," Matt Peterson from Pragmatic Works demonstrates how educators can use PowerBI to foster classroom competition, providing a step-by-step guide for beginners and seasoned users alike. Whether you're an educator or not, this episode offers valuable insights into creating engaging data visualizations with PowerBI.
Matt introduces a concept called "Peterson Pesos" to encourage student engagement through competition. The idea is to create a PowerBI report that visualizes classroom data in a fun and interactive way, using a simple Excel file as the data source.
Matt introduces the "Enlighten Aquarium" custom visual, a creative way to represent data where each student is a fish in the aquarium, and their points determine the size of their fish. This visual not only adds a fun element to data representation but also encourages students to engage more actively with their progress.
Matt concludes by highlighting the versatility of PowerBI, encouraging educators to experiment with different visuals to find what best motivates their students. He also reminds viewers that PowerBI Desktop is a free tool, accessible to anyone interested in exploring data visualization.
For those keen on diving deeper into Power Platform, Pragmatic Works offers a comprehensive on-demand learning subscription, including over 100 courses. Viewers are encouraged to take advantage of a promotional offer for discounted access to these resources.
In summary, this episode of "Power Platform for Educators" showcases how PowerBI can transform classroom data into a powerful tool for engagement and competition, offering educators a creative way to visualize student progress and motivate learning.
Matthew Peterson, a trainer at Pragmatic Works, introduces a practical application of Power Platform in the educational sector through his tutorial. This guide is tailored for educators looking to automate the process of sending birthday emails to students, enhancing personal connections within the educational environment.
In episode four of the Power Platform for educators series, Matthew Peterson demonstrates a thoughtful way to use technology for building rapport with students by acknowledging their birthdays through automated emails. This initiative not only fosters a sense of belonging but also illustrates the versatility of Power Platform in handling scheduled tasks.
Setting Up the Data Source: Utilize a SharePoint list containing student names, birth dates, and email addresses. While the example uses a SharePoint list for its simplicity, any data source like an Excel file can be integrated.
Creating a Scheduled Cloud Flow: Initiate a scheduled cloud flow in Power Automate, specifying it to run daily at a time that ensures emails are received before the school day begins.
Filtering Relevant Data: Implement an OData filter to fetch only those records where the birth date matches the current date, ensuring that only relevant birthday emails are dispatched.
Dynamically Sending Emails: Configure the flow to send personalized emails to the student's email address extracted from the data source. The email content can be customized to include the student's name, fostering a personal touch.
Testing and Troubleshooting: Before full deployment, rigorously test the flow to catch and rectify any potential issues, ensuring reliability in the automated process.
Matthew emphasizes that this approach isn't confined to birthdays alone. The same methodology can be applied to various scenarios where scheduled communication is beneficial, such as reminders about upcoming project deadlines or certification renewals.
Looking ahead, Matthew hints at future tutorials where integration with Microsoft Forms and Power Automate will be showcased. This will automate the data collection process for the SharePoint list, streamlining the workflow further and reducing manual data entry.
The tutorial by Matthew Peterson is more than just a technical guide; it's a testament to how technology can be leveraged to create a more engaging and personalized educational experience. By automating simple yet impactful gestures like birthday emails, educators can focus more on teaching while still maintaining a warm, inclusive environment. Stay tuned for more insightful applications of Power Platform in education.