Heat Maps - Innovations by Educators

One of the superpowers of educators is their ability to innovate.  This is the third Micro Move we have created about Heat Maps.  If you missed the previous posts, you will find them here and here.  Heat Maps support students and teachers to monitor and measure progress. 

This Micro Move is a celebration of some of the ways educators have made Heat Maps work not only better for their learners and their context, but also as part of a suite of strategies and tools for learning. 

But first, some responses to common questions we are asked:

Heat Map question 1: How many colours should you use?  

CT-ed advocates for four colours, not three. Why? Because a simple traffic light system creates a big middle where students can get lost. Four colours push learners to judge whether they’re closer to understanding or not yet there, giving teachers clearer insight for feedback and scaffolding. When students tick a single middle box, we lose that nuance. Whatever number of colours you use, ensure each has a clear explanation and, where possible, examples of what it looks, sounds, and feels like in learning.

Heat Map question 2: What if students aren't being honest?

We prefer the term ‘accurate’ over honest. Some questions to ask yourself if your students are not yet able to be accurate?

• Are students clear about the purpose of the Heat Map and how it will be used?

• Do they have enough information to make an informed decision?

• Have I taught them how to use evidence (know show chart, pre-assessment, feedback, self-assessment…) to be accurate?

• Is there a social or personal  reason they are not accurate?  Peers?  Self-esteem?

• How many times would a student need to experience using a Heat Map until they could be accurate?

Now for 5 thoughtful and creative ways educators are adapting and improving Heat

Map implementation.

Idea 1: Connecting Heat Maps to Bump It Up Walls and exemplars

Why?  Build shared understanding by making evidence concrete,  promotes goal setting and reinforces progression language.

This example (Figure 1) comes from Trinity Gardens Primary School, South Australia. Students work cooperatively to determine how they would ‘rate’ each writing sample in the Bump It Up continuum. 

Figure 1: Bump It Up Wall with Heat Maps to describe each 'level' of quality for a Reception class.

Idea 2: Connecting with pre-assessment

Why?  To support accuracy.

Mudgee Public School, NSW, work through a planning process to align a written pre-assessment (Figure 2) and post-assessment with the heat map (Figure 3) so that students can accurately self-assess by aligning the two.  As part of this planning process, they now also consider the mini-anchor charts (MM#22) that will best support learning. 

In these examples, the three colours align with the shared language of challenge - comfort, stretch and panic.  To sharpen clarity, teachers can add a continuum or let students select multiple colours to show where they sit within or between zones.

Figure 2: Pre-assessment

Figure 3: Heat Map that aligns with the pre-assessment and post-assessment

Idea 3: Connecting with Goals and Reflection

Why?  To create accurate and achievable next steps and goals.

At Trinity Gardens Primary School  the Year 1 team have been helping students make the connection between self-assessment, goals for learning and tools such as checklists, heat maps  and Bump It Up Walls. (Figures 4, 5 and 6). 

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Idea 4: Cheat Map for educators

Why?  Because clarity is vital for progress.

To support teacher and student clarity about the success criteria on the Heat Map (Figure 7), staff at Mudgee Public School, NSW, are also creating Cheat Maps (Figure 8). Information on the Cheat Map comes from NSW resources such as units and glossaries.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9 shows combining this information on one page for students and teachers. 

Figure 9

Idea 5: Not just for students

Why?  Because educators should reflect on and celebrate progress too!

Cleve Area School, South Australia, and other schools we partner with, also use Heat Mapping to support teacher assessment of progress towards school goals and the School Implementation Plan. This Heat Mapping can then be used to determine progress and to support greater intentionality in decisions and actions. Figure 10 is the Heat Map data converted into bar charts showing the shift from Time 1 in Term 2 to Time 2 in Term 3 in the focus area of Unstuck Strategies implementation.

Figure 10

Heat Maps have enormous potential to support students driving their own progress. 

What ideas might you cheat and steal?

How might you innovate further?