Six Tips to Make PowerPoint Work for You

Daniel Limmer, EMT-P, I/C

Published in the Winter 2006 issue of the Maine EMS I/C News

1. One presentation doesn’t work for all.

You went to a presentation and learned some really cool stuff. You ask the instructor for a copy of her lecture so you can teach it to your class or back at your station. You present it and it doesn’t go over as well. This may be because the presentation was created by someone else to match her style—not yours. Back in the days of overheads and slides we didn’t have the ability to change visuals once they were created. With PowerPoint we can change anything at any time—even on a break in class. But for some reason we don’t take advantage of it—or we don’t make the effort. Use the dynamic medium to its potential. Make it yours. Change it to fit you. Your voice. Your style. Your knowledge.

2. Flying text and wild sounds don’t make a great presentation.

As a matter of fact it can be downright annoying. Many instructors rely too heavily on the flash and not as much on substance. A little zip is good. Too much of it takes away from your message.

3. PowerPoint handouts make classes boring.

With just a few clicks you can make your slides into handouts. Three, six, nine slides per page. Amazing. Amazingly boring for your students when they already know what you are going to say three slides in advance and there is no need to write. Consider exporting an outline to Word. Delete the bullet points and leave only the main heads. The students will get an outline for guidance but still have to take some notes. Writing helps students learn. Doing this will take more time and your students will complain. But it is worth it. (I am going to begin this with my next class.) PowerPoint handouts are boring.

4. Don’t lose your interactivity.

On the topic of boring: don’t lose your interactivity when using PowerPoint. Remember when we used overheads and had students call out answers and we wrote them down? That was interactive. Reading slides isn’t. Take time to ask questions, check comprehension, synthesize concepts, write on your whiteboard to make a point, talk through a scenario. It can and should be done—even with PowerPoint.

5. Be visual.

You have the power to import video clips and photos into PowerPoint. Use your digital camera or digital video camera to personalize your lectures. If you can’t find what you need—shoot it yourself. It is surprisingly easy. Appeal to both of your students’ cerebral hemispheres. Words and pictures.

6. Be creative.

While I said earlier to not overdo it with bells and whistles, we can make our presentations personalized, incredibly dynamic and highly educational. When you balance creativity with solid education you’ll enjoy educating and your students will appreciate it.

Dan Limmer is a paramedic and educator with 28 years of experience in EMS. He is a paramedic with Kennebunk Fire Rescue in Kennebunk, Maine and an Adjunct Faculty Member at the Southern Maine Community College EMS Program in South Portland, Maine. He has co-authored several textbooks including the Emergency Care EMT text, First Responder—A Skills Approach, and Advanced Medical Life Support.