Welcome to the editing pass

You already produced two word-processed documents for Key Assignment 1. Today is the editing pass that turns those drafts into bankable evidence. By the end of this lesson your KA1 work is finished, saved in the right formats, and sitting in your portfolio where the SEC criteria can be ticked off without further changes.

Warm-up

Think about the last piece of writing you handed in for any subject. If you could pull it back now and fix one thing, what would it be, and what caused you to miss it the first time round?

What a fresh-eyes edit actually changes

Here is a before-and-after from a student editing a Work Experience application letter on a second read:

Before: "I think I would be a good person for this placement because I am interested in the area and I have done some related things in school which I enjoyed."

After: "I am applying because I want to train as a motor mechanic. In school I completed the Engineering module and I service my own bike, so I arrive with basic tools knowledge already."

Same paragraph, same writer, ten minutes later. The fresh-eyes pass did not add new information. It put the information that was already in the writer's head onto the page.

Open both of your KA1 documents in your word processor. Read each one from start to finish without touching the keyboard. You are looking, not editing yet. The prompts below help you notice what needs work before the editing pass.

Keep a blank page or a notes app open beside your documents and jot down anything you spot. You will act on the notes in the next two activities.

You are about to swap both KA1 documents with one partner chosen by the teacher. You will leave written comments on your partner's two documents, and they will do the same on yours. When the comments come back, you decide which to act on, but every comment must be read.

Worked example — sharing and commenting in 60 seconds

Before you and your partner swap, walk through this once. Your teacher may demonstrate it at the top of the step.

Aoife shares her CV with her partner Conor:

1. Aoife opens her CV in Word Online (or Google Docs, depending on your suite).
2. She clicks {{btn:Share}} in the top-right corner.
3. She types Conor's school email, then changes the permission dropdown from Can edit to Can comment (in Word Online) or Commenter (in Google Docs).
4. She clicks {{btn:Send}}. If the email is slow or her partner can't find it, she clicks {{btn:Copy link}} from the same Share dialog and pastes it into the class chat. This is the most reliable way — use it if email fails first time.

Conor reads and leaves a comment:

1. Conor opens the shared document from his OneDrive (under Shared) or Google Drive (under Shared with me).
2. He highlights a vague sentence — say, "I have done some related things in school".
3. He clicks {{menu:Review -> New Comment}} in Word Online, or {{menu:Insert -> Comment}} in Google Docs (shortcut: {{kbd:Ctrl+Alt+M}}, Cmd+Option+M on Mac).
4. He types: "Could you name the specific module or placement you're thinking of?"
5. He clicks the post-comment arrow.

That is the whole mechanic. If you were absent the day sharing and commenting were first taught, follow this exact sequence once before swapping.

How to swap

Share both of your KA1 documents with your partner through your cloud storage. Give them comment access. Your partner does the same with you.

• Microsoft 365: open the document in Word Online, click {{btn:Share}}, set permission to Can comment, and send by email or share a copied link in the class chat.
• Google Workspace: open the document in Google Docs, click {{btn:Share}}, set permission to Commenter, and send by email or share a copied link in the class chat.

What to comment on

Leave three comments on each of your partner's two documents — six comments in total. At least one comment per document must be a concrete suggestion, not just praise. Useful comment patterns:

• "This sentence is a bit vague. Could you name the specific thing you mean?"
• "The purpose of the document is not clear in the first paragraph. Could you add the reader's name or the situation?"
• "This list would be easier to scan as bullet points."
• "Spell-check missed 'recieved' — it should be 'received'."

When the comments land on your own documents, read every one. You do not have to accept them all, but you must have a reason for each one you reject. You will act on the accepted ones in the next activity.

This is the last block of KA1 work. When it is done, both your KA1 documents are finished and your portfolio holds the evidence your teacher will mark against the SEC criteria.

1. Finalise your edits

Open both KA1 documents and act on:

• Your own fresh-eyes notes from earlier in the lesson.
• The comments from your partner that you have decided to accept.

2. Save each document in two formats

You need both .docx and .pdf of each document. Name the final files {{code:23_ka1_doc1}} and {{code:23_ka1_doc2}} so both formats share the same stem.

• Microsoft 365 (Word Online): {{menu:File -> Save a Copy}} keeps your .docx in the {{code:Digital_Portfolio}} folder; {{menu:File -> Export -> Download as PDF}} makes the .pdf, which you then upload back into the same folder.
• Google Workspace (Google Docs): the live file is already a Google Doc, so use {{menu:File -> Download -> Microsoft Word (.docx)}} for the .docx and {{menu:File -> Download -> PDF Document (.pdf)}} for the .pdf. Upload both back into your {{code:Digital_Portfolio}} folder in Google Drive.

3. Print (or queue for print)

The SEC criteria for KA1 include printed. Use {{menu:File -> Print}} in either suite.

If the school printer is unavailable, save a print-ready PDF now and note in your checklist that printing is scheduled for the next ICT lesson. This is SEC-acceptable provided you actually print it later — put a reminder in your phone or diary.

4. Fill in your KA1 checklist

Create a new word-processor document from inside your {{code:Digital_Portfolio}} folder and save it as {{code:23_ka1_checklist}}. This checklist is the cover sheet your teacher reads first.

Copy in the five SEC criteria below, and under each one write one or two lines pointing at where in your portfolio that criterion is evidenced:

• Created: Name the two documents and the software used to make them.
• Stored: Name the folder path where both documents live.
• Edited: Describe one concrete edit you made on the fresh-eyes pass and one you made because of partner feedback.
• Printed: Confirm that both documents have been printed, or state when they will be.
• For specific purposes: State the specific purpose and reader of each document in one sentence (for example: "A CV written to apply for Work Experience at a local garage").

Worked example — what one finished line looks like

Here is the Stored line filled in properly. Use this as the model for your other four lines:

Stored: Both documents are saved in my Digital_Portfolio folder in OneDrive, as 23_ka1_doc1 (.docx and .pdf) and 23_ka1_doc2 (.docx and .pdf). My teacher has Viewer access to the folder.

Notice the line names the specific folder, the specific filenames, and one extra concrete detail about access. Each of your five lines should be specific and concrete like this, not "yes I did it".

This deliverable is what "bankable" means for KA1 — a marker could open your portfolio tomorrow and tick every criterion without asking you a follow-up question.