Group roles enabled by devices in the classroom-

Here are some ways to incorporate technology into cooperative learning groups, adding a new twist on the already familiar. With just one device per group, new group roles make it possible to take your classroom groups to the next level. Feel free to add to this list, or share any questions or experiences.

“Post”erchild- student’s job is to take information from the group (input, conversation, a picture, etc.) and post it to Edmodo, or Moodle, or Todaysmeet or Twitter (or whatever the class is using).
“Source”erer- This person’s job is to verify the validity of the information being used by the group by searching to see if there are multiple/reliable sources that corroborate the group’s findings.
Googler- The job of this student is to seek answers to questions that come up in a group.
Data-miner- The job of this student is to find statistics/number support/confirmation as it is needed in a group. This person may also be good for finding or creating graphs.
Mathemagician- For classes that don’t normally have calculators, this person can use his or her device to do mathematical things. Even in a math class, this person could use an app or website to enhance the math already being done in the group, or to take that math and find an application for it.
Presenter- This person’s job is to make a quick online presentation (slide presentation, animation, flip book, digital story, Animoto, picture narrative, etc.) on behalf of the group, rather than just having the group stand at the front of the room and talk about what they did to wrap up an activity.
Timer- most devices have some sort of timer on them- be it a stopwatch, or a countdown timer- take advantage of it by having students time and streamline their conversations in think-pair-share activities. Even if you are the only teacher in the room with a device, the timer on that device can be very handy for timing transitions between activities, timing the length of activities, etc.
Blogger/wiki-er- This person updates the group/class blog or wiki. Similar to the posterchild.
Newshound- similar to the Googler, except this person is responsible for finding news articles related to the topic being studied or discussed. Or to find articles on topics of interest in the target language.
Pictofinder- This person is responsible for finding images online that may be of use to a group, either for vocabulary imagery, or having a model to draw from. This person could also find relevant video.
Photo/ Video journalist- This student is responsible for making images and posting them to an online forum. Photos can be used to record notes that can be shared, document a process, or demonstrate learning.
Note-taker (transformed!)- person taking notes posts them to a cloud account (like Evernote or Google Docs) then shares them out with the group members so all members have copies of the notes.
Audio recorder- Creates a brief audio podcast, either using the voice memo feature on the device or an app like iPadio.
Navigator- This person uses the map program on their device (or finds a mapping program on the web) to look up locations on maps, plan routes, etc.  
GPS- Many devices have GPS in them, and have apps that track location and movement information (speed, mileage, distance, etc.). Some fitness apps also enable calorie intake tracking as well. Might be useful in a health or PE class.
QR code reader- The job of this person with the device is to read the QR codes. With QR codes, you can set up QR activated stations around the room, or campus, and have groups go and follow the path, solving problems along the way, or doing an exercise, or completing an activity.

Remember, there is no need to do this all at once. Try one and see how it goes. Do what you’re comfortable doing.

Any other suggestions?