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empowering education (PR from TinaCMS) (#3428)
* TinaCMS content update Co-authored-by: Mike <michaelsmedley@ssw.com.au> * TinaCMS content update Co-authored-by: Mike <michaelsmedley@ssw.com.au> * TinaCMS content update Co-authored-by: Mike <michaelsmedley@ssw.com.au> * TinaCMS content update Co-authored-by: Mike <michaelsmedley@ssw.com.au> * TinaCMS content update Co-authored-by: Mike <michaelsmedley@ssw.com.au> * TinaCMS content update Co-authored-by: Mike <michaelsmedley@ssw.com.au> * TinaCMS content update Co-authored-by: Mike <michaelsmedley@ssw.com.au> --------- Co-authored-by: tina-cloud-app[bot] <58178390+tina-cloud-app[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Mike <michaelsmedley@ssw.com.au>
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| --- | ||
| seo: | ||
| title: Use Microsoft Tools to Drive Education Outcomes | ||
| description: >- | ||
| Discover how Microsoft tools like SharePoint, Power BI, and Power Automate | ||
| are transforming education outcomes with data-driven decisions. | ||
| canonical: 'https://www.ssw.com.au/empowering-education' | ||
| showBreadcrumb: true | ||
| images: | ||
| - url: /images/ssw-default-og.jpg | ||
| width: 1200 | ||
| height: 630 | ||
| alt: SSW Consulting - Enterprise Software Development | ||
| bannerImg: /images/articles/RgXd955pTzu0wP_4u1S-RA.jpeg | ||
| title: >- | ||
| Empowering Education: How Microsoft Tools can help educators and students | ||
| thrive | ||
| subTitle: > | ||
| <VideoEmbed url="https://youtu.be/bO57SyxD_6w" videoWidth="w-full" | ||
| removeMargin={true} caption="Tanya and Mike discuss how the Microsoft tools | ||
| can drive better learning outcomes" /> | ||
| The modern school is a complex ecosystem. From classrooms alive with kids to | ||
| teachers and administrators trying to keep up, there’s a constant challenge to | ||
| balance operations with delivering the best education. Amid this, one key | ||
| truth emerges: better visibility into data and smoother processes empower | ||
| teachers to focus on what matters most—students’ learning. | ||
| Tanya Leahy, a Senior Consultant, has spent over 16 years bridging the gap | ||
| between education and technology. With extensive experience in school | ||
| administration, data management, and Microsoft’s toolset, Tanya’s mission is | ||
| clear: to simplify school operations and improve learning outcomes. | ||
| In Tanya’s words, “Schools today are time-poor, and no software is perfect. | ||
| The magic happens when technology fills the gaps.” | ||
| ### A Deep Understanding of Education | ||
| Tanya worked in senior administrative roles, supporting leadership teams in | ||
| schools and managing vast amounts of data. Her years of experience taught her | ||
| that education isn’t just about teaching—it’s about enabling teachers. | ||
| “Education has changed dramatically in recent years,” Tanya reflects. “We have | ||
| an aging workforce of teachers, many of whom aren’t tech-savvy. They need | ||
| tools that are intuitive, reliable, and save time, not add complexity. That’s | ||
| where technology makes the difference.” | ||
| Tanya recalls countless scenarios where the lack of integrated systems left | ||
| teachers and administrators struggling. From managing student enrollments to | ||
| tracking attendance and behavioral data, the burden of juggling multiple | ||
| systems often fell on already overstretched staff. | ||
| But Tanya didn’t see these challenges as roadblocks; she saw opportunities. | ||
| Combining her deep knowledge of education with her technical expertise, she | ||
| began crafting solutions tailored to the specific needs of schools. | ||
| ### Making Data Work for Schools | ||
| One of Tanya’s favorite tools for schools is Power BI. While many education | ||
| systems collect data, few use it effectively. For Tanya, the key lies in | ||
| transforming raw information into actionable insights. | ||
| “Data isn’t just numbers on a page,” Tanya explains. “It’s a story—about | ||
| attendance trends, learning gaps, and even how scheduling impacts student | ||
| engagement.” | ||
| She shares an example from her own experience: “We used Power BI to analyze | ||
| attendance patterns and noticed a spike in students leaving early on Mondays. | ||
| The data showed that back-to-back English and math classes after lunch weren’t | ||
| working. By rethinking the timetable, we reduced absenteeism and helped | ||
| students stay engaged.” | ||
| For Tanya, moments like these showcase the power of combining technology with | ||
| a deep understanding of education. “Every decision we make should support | ||
| students. That’s the ultimate goal.” | ||
| ### Building Collaborative Communities | ||
| Beyond data analysis, Tanya champions tools like SharePoint to foster | ||
| collaboration within schools. “Schools thrive when information flows | ||
| seamlessly,” she says. “But without the right infrastructure, important | ||
| details get lost, and staff spend hours searching for files.” | ||
| Tanya remembers working in schools without a centralized intranet. “It was | ||
| chaos. Teachers relied on shared drives or emailed spreadsheets—systems that | ||
| weren’t scalable or secure.” | ||
| Introducing SharePoint was a game-changer. With its robust permission | ||
| settings, teachers could access only the information relevant to their roles, | ||
| while administrators gained a bird’s-eye view of the school’s operations. | ||
| “It’s not just about storing documents,” Tanya emphasizes. “It’s about | ||
| creating a shared space where everyone can work smarter.” | ||
| ### Streamlining with Automation | ||
| One of the biggest hurdles schools face is the sheer volume of manual | ||
| processes. From approving subject changes to handling incident reports, these | ||
| tasks can consume valuable time. | ||
| Tanya recounts a project where she used Power Automate to simplify the subject | ||
| change process. “Students used to run around the school collecting signatures | ||
| for paper forms. It was inefficient and prone to errors,” she recalls. | ||
| With automation, approvals were routed digitally, cutting the process down to | ||
| half a day. “That’s time students can spend learning, not chasing paperwork. | ||
| It’s a small change with a big impact.” | ||
| ### A Vision for the Future: AI and Agile | ||
| Looking ahead, Tanya is excited about the potential of AI in schools. | ||
| Microsoft’s Copilot and forthcoming agents promise to revolutionize how | ||
| schools operate, from drafting reports to creating predictive models for | ||
| student success. “AI will free up teachers to focus on teaching,” Tanya | ||
| predicts. “Imagine having a system that identifies struggling students early | ||
| and suggests interventions. That’s the future.” | ||
| But Tanya knows technology alone isn’t enough. Implementing these tools | ||
| requires careful planning, and her experience with Agile and Scrum | ||
| methodologies gives her a unique edge. “Schools are big, complex organizations | ||
| with many stakeholders,” she explains. “To make change happen, you need clear | ||
| communication, staged rollouts, and buy-in from everyone involved.” | ||
| One of her proudest achievements was leading a progressive reporting project. | ||
| “It wasn’t just about configuring software,” she says. “It was about | ||
| rethinking how we measure and communicate student progress. Change is hard, | ||
| but when done right, it’s incredibly rewarding.” | ||
| ### Better Tools, Better Outcomes | ||
| For Tanya, the ultimate goal of her work is simple: to give educators the | ||
| tools they need to succeed. “When teachers have better visibility into their | ||
| students’ needs, they can teach more effectively. When administrators spend | ||
| less time on manual tasks, they can focus on supporting their teams. And when | ||
| schools operate smoothly, students thrive.” | ||
| As technology continues to evolve, Tanya remains optimistic. “We’re just | ||
| scratching the surface of what’s possible. With the right tools and the right | ||
| mindset, we can transform education—not just for teachers and administrators, | ||
| but for generations of students to come. | ||
| author: content/presenters/michael-smedley.mdx | ||
| sidebarPanel: | ||
| title: Want to get Power BI working for you? | ||
| description: 'Visualize and analyse data with greater speed, efficiency and understanding' | ||
| showSidebarPanel: true | ||
| actionUrl: 'https://www.ssw.com.au/consulting/power-bi' | ||
| actionText: Learn more | ||
| callToAction: | ||
| title: Talk to us about your project | ||
| subTitle: Connect with our Account Managers to discuss how we can help. | ||
| showCallToAction: true | ||
| buttonText: Book a FREE Initial Meeting | ||
| animated: true | ||
| buttonSubtitle: or call +61 2 9953 3000 | ||
| --- | ||
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