Choose to “Do Something” for Law Enforcement Rather than Just “Be Someone” in Law Enforcement.
Copyright © 2011 LEOtrainer all rights reserved.
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
when it’s in your power to act. ~Proverbs 3:27
when it’s in your power to act. ~Proverbs 3:27
You, the instructor, are the presentation not the slide show. If the projector fails, your laptop crashes, or you forget the jump drive it shouldn’t matter. You should be able to go on without it. Slides shouldn’t serve as your notes but only as a resource to support your presentation.
There are 45 pages dedicated to slide design in Police Instructor and the entire book will help you to create an engaging presentation.
The first tip is to use as few bullet points as possible. They are just like the bullets we shoot as law enforcers; they kill people! Humans think in narrative stories, not in bullet points. While necessary for SPOs and some lists, you should reduce the use of bullet points wherever possible. This one rule will please your students who are bombarded by generic PowerPoint presentations every day. Take a risk and toss the generic slide show provided by the school or state, and start designing something memorable and engaging. Think of the learner and not the presenter with each slide you make.
The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a principle of composition that helps you keep your presentation slides dynamic. You won’t be able to worry about the rule with every slide but when the opportunity presents itself it will pay off. It gives you eight points to work with — four lines and four intersections. When you place points of interest along the lines or at the intersections it tends to create more visual interest and draw people in. It keeps you from plopping an image in the center of a slide where they usually end up. By moving the focus of our slide to the side or corner it adds appeal.
I use the technique with select photographs when I have an important point to make. Look at this next picture of ―Cedar Falls (located just outside of Cedarville, Ohio). The majestic falls are centered in my photograph and not on any of the four lines or intersecting points.
Now the same waterfall is move to the intersecting point in the upper left hand corner of my slide, and it’s much more appealing to look at. Anytime you want to grab the audience with a particular picture or slide consider using the Rule of Thirds. I didn’t really believe in the principle until I tried using it a few times. Now I find myself cropping pictures to move the focus from the middle out to a corner or side. I find it really does add appeal for my audience, but I don’t do it with every slide or image. Use the technique with select photographs when you want to make an important point.
The next slide depicts a police car that was the center of my original photo. I cropped the photo and moved the car into the upper left hand corner of the slide to leave room for my title, ―Role of the American Peace Officer 1-2. You can see how I placed the main points of interest on one of the four lines or intersecting points to meet the Rule of Thirds. The method is compelling and you should give it a try when you have the opportunity to be creative with images in your slide show.
Death by PowerPoint
A good example of what NOT to do with your slide show design.
Steven Berlin Johnson is the best-selling author of six books on the intersection of science, technology and personal experience. He speaks here on “Where Ideas Come From.” During his presentation he only uses a few simple slides, and uses images instead of text. He tells a relevant and interesting story to make his point, and finds a humorous anecdote to finish strong. The full video and others like it are available for you to watch at www.Ted.com.
Police Instructor is now available by visiting the Handbook page, or click on the book image. The 264 page training resource is now available through Amazon.com.
