The Algebra Teacher Powers to B.I.

 In this blog, I am excited to release my 2nd episode in my new series covering the Power Platform.  If you have ever created Canvas Apps and have not used Global Variables, you will want to keep reading.  Global variables allow you as the app developer to design your application with fewer lines of code and in some cases avoid delegation warnings.   Global variables have many use case scenarios because you can call upon a global variable within any screen or control in your application.  For this video, I explore two use case scenarios for Global variables.  The first is to store custom colors that you want to re-use during your app design.  The second is able to retrieve information like email, display name, manager's information, etc. about the current user who is utilizing your application. Check out this video and see how easy it is to declare Global Variables in canvas applications. If you enjoy this video and are interested in formal traini...

 It’s a New Year and time to get back to making more videos to help anyone who wants to learn about the various Microsoft products we here at Pragmatic Works train.  I’ve made over 40 different YouTube videos over the past two years, but for this year I wanted to create a structured series that will be dedicated to the Microsoft Power Platform.    Each month I plan on posting at least two videos that will cover various topics dedicated to Power Apps, Power BI, Power Automate, and Power Virtual Agents.  Some of the videos will be “one-off” videos while the majority will be continuations of discussion from the prior videos in the series.   I plan on giving you all the resources you will need to follow along.  Whether you start with me from episode 1 or you pick up with me on episode 11, I hope to give you great insights into how to use the programs and start implementing your business solutions.   In this first episode, I am starting wit...

  It’s time for another session of building our check-in Power App for my former school.  This is now session 4 of our series. If you are interested in all of the ins and outs of what got us to this point and you want to build the app from the beginning check out these three videos first. Let's Build a Power App | Session 1 Let's Build a Power App | Session 2 Let's Build a Power App | Session 3 In the third session, we learned how to search our data with an input text box, insert locally saved images and have the height of an object changed based on another object’s height. For this session, we will sort our search results, add a new screen with the locations of our students, and delete records.  For deleting records we are going to go above and beyond a normal delete and discuss popup confirmation boxes in an app. Sure it takes more time in the design, but you as the app developer will be grateful you took this extra time.    Below is a more detailed ...

If there is anything constant in the world at this time, it is that you will get an update to your Power BI desktop once a month.  If you are running low on time and want a quick video summary of June’s updates, then you are in the right spot. This video covers all the new updates, but one of my favorite features is being able to add the visual data points to a line chart.   Yeah, I know that might not be the most exciting thing, but coming from a math background and teaching my kids how to graph line charts -- I missed the absence of the dots.  I mean really, how else could we make a line chart before computers without the dots? I hope you enjoy it.

If I knew then what I know now is a timeless adage that is most certainly universal. It is one that keeps popping up in my head the more and more I learn about Power BI's capabilities. I can't help but think back to my 15+ years of teaching as my context.  I have two main goals for this week’s blog and demo.   Goal #1 is to show you how I created a report using Power BI with fairly minimal effort. Goal #2 is to walk you through the process of publishing to the service. I wish I knew the basics of Power BI when I was in the teaching profession.   I spent countless hours analyzing my student’s data.   Sure, the district supplied us with some data analysis programs, but those only related to the mandated state and county tests forced upon the students.   I wanted to analyze my students’ performance on my assignments and assessments.   So the long process would begin  downloading the grade book files from our school program into Excel, and then I would...

DEMO BELOW The power of "what if" has been debated, discussed, deployed, and dreamed about for centuries. It's woven into the fabric of human nature and technology is a product of its power.  Does the IF function have a lot of power in Power BI? Sure .  But where does the power of IF have more power than in the house or in the classroom.  Mr. Peterson, IF I do the extra credit this weekend how much will my grade go up? Mr. Peterson, IF I don’t have any more missing homework assignments for the rest of the quarter will my grade improve? Mr. Peterson, IF we learn all this Algebra you are teaching how will it help me in the real world? "Dad, IF I don’t miss any more chores this week can I pick where we go out to eat tonight” My response, "IF you don’t miss any more chores, THEN you get to pick where we eat Saturday, ELSE mom and I get to pick where we eat." You see IF statements not only get the brain exploring endless possibilities, but they generate a logi...

Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A This was a series of commands, a holy "code" that I whispered to myself over and over again on the walk home from school until it was etched in my 6th-grade brain.  Earlier that day was the first time "the code" was mentioned-- whispered about at the lunch table because my buddy Rick's older brother told him it was "technically a cheat code" and we could all go to jail or worse if we told people we knew.  It was dangerous. It was alluring. And I was eleven walking home to beat Contra for the first time. Twenty-five plus years later and cheat-codes still seem a bit enticing.

Data, especially in the time of quarantine, can make you look REALLY good on paper. Or, on the screen I should say-- or in this case in a table. And if I am being honest- putting all my cards on the table (you're welcome for that pun)- I've definitely tried to use data in building a defense when my wife has called me out on something. Unfortunately for me, she knows how a cherry-picked data table can tell many different stories. Nevertheless, I persist! In this post I discuss: *DAX function CALENDARAUTO *why I broke-up with function CALENDAR *link to a demo I create *how I attempt to use a Date Table to make myself look better to my wife 😁 I’ve really loved learning about DAX functions lately during my deep dive into the world of Power BI.   As you know I have a math teaching background so it is fascinating to see how I can manipulate simple calculations to use time intelligence, override specific filters, and cross reference other tables.   One of the...