Last week I had a class where the presenter was using PowerPoint.  This is not an unusual circumstance as more often than not I have presenters that use PowerPoint presentations.  In this instance, nothing was working, and I felt like all eyes were on me to fix it. So when the remote to advance the slides stopped working I was called to solve the issue. So, what do you do in this situation?

Do a dry run

Prior to the course I made sure to test every PowerPoint.  This included making sure the slides advanced, sound played, and video ran.  During my test, everything appeared to be in functioning order. Still, we seemed to have an issue. 

When things go wrong: Don't Panic

This is a tough one considering that failed equipment in the middle of a presentation is not ideal. I managed to remain calm and email our a/v staff person and my colleague, Cindy, to bring me an additional remote. I stood at the podium fidgeting with the remotes.  

Try Everything

By the end of my toggling with 3 different remotes in 3 USB ports, I still didn't have a solution. What seemed to work just an hour earlier had completely malfunctioned. I was left to sit at the podium and advance the slides manually (not ideal, but efficient). At least this was a solution. 

I had conceded to sitting at the podium for the rest of the session when I accidentally advanced the slide with the remote.  For whatever reason, we were back in business! The slides were advancing. Even now, I don't know what the hang up was, but the show went on (as it always does).

What do you do when your technology malfunctions? What kind of stories and tips do you have to share?