1 - Introduction ~6 mins
Welcome
Today you polish Format 1, the presentation you will show at your Vocational Education Task (VET) interview. The same file goes into your project portfolio afterwards, so the work you do in this hour is the version an adult will actually see.
By the end of today you will have:
- a finished Format 1 that stands up to the checks you have practised all course
- two copies of it: the one you can still edit, and the one that opens the same way on any machine
- both copies sitting in the agreed portfolio folder
Aim for a clear piece a viewer can follow in a couple of minutes, with tidy evidence of the design habits you have practised on this course.
Warm-up
Imagine someone opens your Format 1 file before you speak. In your head, name the first thing you hope they notice, and the first thing you hope they do not notice. Keep those two answers in mind while you polish.
Open and show (about 60 seconds)
Open your latest Format 1 draft from {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm2/}} and leave it on screen so your teacher can see it.
If you have no usable draft: tell your teacher now. You will get a bare five-part outline to build on — one part each for the problem, your offer, the costs, your proof and your ask — and only the three must-fix polish items today, so you can still save an editable copy and a finished copy before the end of class.
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
Listen for source versus publication, then open your draft. Your teacher will talk through a short before-and-after. The table stays on screen as a reference.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Format 1 (VET interview piece) — the presentation you will deliver or show in the Vocational Education Task interview | You need a clear, complete piece that presents your idea to a real adult audience | A five-slide pitch for a phone-repair side hustle, ready to run on interview-day hardware |
| Source copy — the editable working file (for example .pptx, Canva design, CapCut project, or script) | You may still need one last fix after teacher review; without the source file you cannot edit cleanly | {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.pptx}} kept in {{code:sm2/}} so you can tweak a title after feedback |
| Publication copy — the finished share or interview version | Interview hardware and portfolio folders need a stable file that opens the same way every time | Usually {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.pdf}} (or .mp4 / .mp3). Use .png only if your teacher already agreed Format 1 is a single visual |
| Course polish and interview readiness — purpose clear, audience fit, hierarchy, accessibility, restrained design, proofed text or audio; file opens and you can talk it through | KA1 and the VET interview reward applied craft, not how many effects you added; a file that will not open still fails the real test | One idea per slide, readable type, alt text on images, captions or a short transcript on short video/audio, no leftover template text; you can start the file quickly and answer "why this format?" |
When the short talk ends, open your own draft and get ready to edit.
3 - Polish Format 1 ~14 mins
Work through the final polish on your own Format 1. Your teacher will circulate and review. Stay in your editable source file for now; later in the lesson there is a class save-and-review section where you make the finished copy that goes into your portfolio.
Polish means cut and clarify, so if a slide is pretty but does not serve your purpose, take it out, and if you are not sure whether it earns its place, ask your teacher for a 30-second desk check before you spend any more time decorating it.
Must-fix now (on screen)
Teacher signs off on these three. Accessibility items in How to check count if you already have images or audio; otherwise fix them after sign-off if you have time.
- Purpose and opening: write one sentence at the top of your notes or on slide 1 notes: what the viewer should walk away knowing. Cut anything that does not serve that sentence. The opening should make sense in the first half-minute.
- Structure: one clear idea per slide, section, or scene. Titles should read as a story if you skim them alone. Remove leftover template text and unused layouts.
- Proof: run spell-check, then read aloud once. Fix names, euro amounts, and project terms software may not know.
Support checklist (3 items)
Use this shorter list if your teacher has set you on support pace, or if you started today from the bare five-part outline.
- One-sentence purpose written at the top of slide 1 notes (or your script notes)
- Cut clutter and any leftover template text
- Spell-check, then open or run through once from the start
The full seven-point polish list below is there to read if you finish the must-fix items early.
Full polish reference (handout if time)
- Purpose and audience: one sentence the viewer should walk away knowing; cut anything that does not serve it.
- Structure: one clear idea per slide, section, or scene; titles skim as a story.
- Content tightness: shorten long text; prefer short labels over paragraphs. For audio or video, trim dead air and weak openings so the hook lands early.
- Design restraint: check contrast, alignment, and whitespace. Keep motion to at most one or two restrained elements. Remove sample images and unused layouts.
- Accessibility: add or fix alt text on information-carrying images. Body text about 24pt or larger on slides. Quick check: set your browser or app zoom to 75% — if you still need to lean in to read body text, increase the size. Add captions or a short transcript note for audio/video where needed.
- Proof: spell-check, then read aloud once.
- Interview run-through (silent): click or run from start to finish without editing. Note any point where you would stall and fix that moment.
How to check (quick)
- Alt text (slides): in PowerPoint Online or Google Slides, right-click the image → {{btn:Alt text}} (or {{btn:Alt Text}}) → type what the image shows in plain words.
- Alt text / caption (Canva): select the image and use the alt text or caption field if your Canva layout shows one; otherwise note the image meaning in your source.txt line.
- Captions (CapCut): export with captions if your project has them, or save a short transcript note beside the file in {{code:sm2/}}.
- Audio transcript: save a short {{code:.txt}} transcript beside the MP3 in {{code:sm2/}}.
- Contrast: dark text on a light background (or the reverse). If body text looks pale grey on white, darken it.
- Body text size: about 24pt or larger on slides. Quick check: zoom to 75% — if you still lean in to read body text, make it bigger.
Once your teacher signs off your content, stop decorating and get ready to save your files when the class moves on to the save-and-review section. If they have not reached your desk by then, keep polishing and they will do both checks in one visit.
4 - Quick Export Demo and Common Issues ~4 mins
Quick export demo
Your teacher will show one clean export path on the school default suite (PowerPoint Online or Google slides). Watch where the PDF lands, then how it is renamed into {{code:sm2/}}.
If you use Canva, CapCut, or audio: watch where the file lands and how it is renamed. Your clicks are in Portfolio Build, but the folder and stem name are the same for everyone.
Menu labels can differ slightly by school account. If your screen wording does not match the demo exactly, follow the closest Download or Export label that produces a PDF, MP4, or MP3.
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I cannot find my latest Format 1 draft | Open {{code:Project_Portfolio}} → {{code:09_specialism}} → {{code:sm2}}. Sort by date modified. If you only have an old version, restore from version history in OneDrive or Google Drive, then continue polish on that file. |
| Export to PDF changes my fonts or cuts the edges | Use the app's own export or download path, not a screenshot collage. In slides, choose landscape and check print/export preview before confirming. For Canva, download as PDF Standard (or PDF Print if you need higher quality) and reopen the PDF once to verify. |
| My video or audio file is huge or will not open on another machine | Export a compressed share version (.mp4 for video, .mp3 for audio) as the publication copy, and keep the editable project as the source. Check the file once on the classroom machine you might use for interview practice. |
| Teacher feedback means a big rebuild and I am out of time | Fix the highest-impact issue first: unclear purpose, missing structure, or unreadable text. Cosmetic extras wait. A clear five-part piece beats a decorated unfinished one. You are not behind if you only fix purpose and structure today; that is the viewer-facing win. |
5 - Portfolio Build ~20 mins
Portfolio Build: class save and review
When your teacher starts this section, the whole class works through these four stages together:
- Rename your source file so it uses the class stem {{code:sm2_ka1_format1}} (slide users end up with {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.pptx}}; if your tool cannot save its project into your folder, your source is {{code:sm2_ka1_format1_source.txt}}).
- Export the publication copy.
- Open the publication copy once to check it.
- Join the teacher review queue.
Use the filename box and the tool path that matches your software below.
- Your source copy and your publication copy both sit in {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm2/}} and both use the stem {{code:sm2_ka1_format1}}
- The publication copy opens cleanly and matches the polished content (no missing media, cut-off edges, placeholder text, or unreadable body text)
- A viewer can grasp your purpose within the first moments without you explaining the software
- Your teacher has reviewed the piece for VET interview readiness and noted any final must-fix items
- If your publication is a PNG, your teacher already agreed Format 1 is a single visual
Filename rules (everyone)
- Folder: {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm2/}}
- Stem: {{code:sm2_ka1_format1}} for every student; only the ending changes with your tool
- Source examples: PowerPoint or Google Slides file named {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.pptx}}, or {{code:sm2_ka1_format1_source.txt}} holding your Canva or CapCut edit link and tool name if the raw project cannot live in Drive
- Publication examples: {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.pdf}}, {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.mp4}}, or {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.mp3}}. Use {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.png}} only if your teacher already agreed Format 1 is a single visual
Save and export paths
Use the path that matches your tool. If a menu label on your screen differs slightly from the wording below, follow the closest Download or Export option that produces the right file type.
First export often lands in Downloads or looks slightly different from the slide view — that is normal. Rename it, move it into {{code:sm2/}}, open it once, then fix only if something is actually missing or cut off.
Canva
- In Canva, open your Format 1 design.
- Click {{btn:Share}} then {{btn:Download}}.
- Choose PDF Standard for a slide-style piece, MP4 for a video or carousel export, or PNG (highest quality) only if your teacher already agreed Format 1 is a single visual.
- Download the file, then upload it into {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm2/}} as {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.pdf}}, {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.mp4}}, or {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.png}} (PNG only if pre-agreed).
- For the source: if your school keeps Canva work in the cloud only, create {{code:sm2_ka1_format1_source.txt}} in the same {{code:sm2/}} folder with one line naming Canva and your edit link (or project name). If you can export a design package your teacher accepts, still use the {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.pptx}} stem.
- Open the publication file once to check pages or that it runs cleanly. Then call your teacher over for review.
CapCut
- Open your Format 1 project in CapCut.
- Export a share version (recommended 1080p {{code:.mp4}} unless your teacher set another size).
- Upload the MP4 into {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm2/}} as {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.mp4}}.
- Source: keep the editable project where your school allows, and put {{code:sm2_ka1_format1_source.txt}} in {{code:sm2/}} with the tool name and project path or cloud link. If you may zip the project folder into Drive, name that zip with the same stem only if your teacher agrees.
- Open {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.mp4}} once on a school machine and check it from start to finish. Then call your teacher over for review.
Audio (podcast or voice piece)
- Export a compressed share file as {{code:.mp3}} from your audio tool.
- Upload it into {{code:sm2/}} as {{code:sm2_ka1_format1.mp3}}.
- Source: editable project or {{code:sm2_ka1_format1_source.txt}} with tool name and link or path, saved beside the MP3.
- Open the MP3 once on a school machine and listen through. Then call your teacher over for review.
Slide suites use the illustrated steps in the tabs below (PowerPoint Online or Google slides).
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