Spider Web

The 28 Roles and 28 Explanations of Roles

Role Controversy

28 Possible Roles (see below for explanations):

  1. Reporter/Summarizer/Reviewer/Commentator (e.g., Jane Pauley, Connie Chung, Dan Rather, Barbara Walters, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw, Walter Cronkite)
  2. Editor/Refiner/Perfecter/Improver (e.g., Beethoven, Paul McCartney, Edgar Allen Poe, Michael Jordan, Peggy Fleming, The Editor of the New York Times)
  3. Controller/Executive Director/CEO/Leader (e.g., Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates from Microsoft, JFK, Queen Elizabeth, Hirohito, Cleopatra, Winston Churchill, Thomas Watson Founder of IBM)
  4. Connector/Relator/Linker/Synthesizer (e.g., Alvin Toffler, Steven Jay Gould, John Naisbitt, Al Gore, Roger Bruning)
  5. Decider/Judge/Settler (e.g., Janet Reno, Lance Ito, Sandra Day O'Conner, Warren Burger)
  6. Devil's Advocate/Critic/Censor (e.g., Sisko and Ebert, Former Senator Bill Proxmire and his Golden Fleece Awards)
  7. Reflector/Thinker/Speculator/Observer/Watcher (e.g., Dian Fossey, Jane Goodhall, Anna Freud, Jean Piaget, Abraham Lincoln, Aristotle)
  8. Warrior/Debater/Arguer/Conqueror/Bloodletter (e.g., Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great, Napolean, King Arthur)
  9. Idea Squelcher/Biased/Preconceiver (e.g., Rush Limbaugh, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler)
  10. Slacker/Slough/Slug/Surfer Dude (e.g., Mr. Spicoli on "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," Weekly guests on Baywatch)
  11. Artist/Idea Person/Visionary/Muse (e.g., Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs and Wozniak from Apple Computer, Frank Lloyd Wright, Carl Jung, Aesop, Yoko Ono)
  12. Planner/Predictor/Guesser/Flowcharter (e.g., Leon Panetta in charge of the U.S. budget projections, Peter Drucker)
  13. Organizer/Starter/Founder/Initiator (e.g., Donna Shalala, Jimmy Hoffa, Elizabeth Dole, Maria Montessori)
  14. Questioner/Ponderer/Protester (e.g., Q on Star Trek, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Sitting Bull)
  15. Emotional/Sensitive/Intuitive (e.g., Jim Kirk on Star Trek, Diana Ross, Madonna)
  16. Adventurer/Discoverer/Explorer/Traveler (Christopher Columbus, Jacques Cousteau, Amelia Earhart, Sir Edmund Hillary, Richard Leakey)
  17. Mediator/Negotiator/Compromiser/Peacemaker (Counselor Troy on Star Trek; Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachev)
  18. Watchdog/Evaluator/Measurer (e.g., The head of Federal Reserve; Alan Greenspan; Professor Milton Friedman)
  19. Creative Energy/Inventor/Generator/Brainstormer (e.g., Nolan Bushnell, Marie Curie, Ernest Hemingway, Doc on "Back to the Future", Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Albert Einstein)
  20. Optimist/Open-Minded/Idealist (Poland President Lech Walesa, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers)
  21. Robotic/Information Dumper/Spock-like (e.g., Data on Star Trek, Mr. Spock, Robocop)
  22. Absent Minded/Stumpler/Dense/Aimless (e.g., Fred MacMurray as the "Absent Minded Professor," Dumb and Dumber, the IU Football and Basketball teams this year, the Indiana State Legislature)
  23. Coach/Facilitator/Inspirator/Trainer (e.g., Bob Knight, Don Shula, Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne, Lou Holtz)
  24. Mentor/Guide/Teacher/Scaffolder (Big Brothers/Sisters, Boy Scout Leader, Disney's Teacher of the Year)
  25. Humanitarian/Do Gooder/Fund Raiser (Mother Theresa, Roberto Clemente, Jimmy Carter and Habitat for Humanity, Jerry Lewis, Robin Hood, Eleanor Roosevelt)
  26. Funny/Humorous/Comic/Witty (e.g., John Candy, Lucille Ball, the Marx Brothers, the 3 Stooges, Robin Williams, David Letterman, George Burns, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello)
  27. Advisor/Responder/Helper/Tutor (e.g., Dear Abbey, Socrates, Mr. Keating on Dead Poets Society)
  28. Worldly/Wiseperson/Sage/Guru/Spiritual Leader (e.g., Gandhi, Confucious, Jessi Jackson, Martin Luther King)

28 Explanations of Roles:

  1. Reporter/Summarizer/Reviewer/Commentator: you can only summarize across, review, or comment on points made
  2. Editor/Refiner/Perfecter/Improver: you can only edit, refine, perfect, improve points made
  3. Controller/Executive Director/CEO/Leader: you can only oversee the process, report overall findings and opinions, try to control the flow
  4. Connector/Relator/Linker/Synthesizer: you can only connect together, interrelate, and link ideas made
  5. Decider/Judge/Settler: you can only make decisions, evaluate, settle, and judge ideas
  6. Devil's Advocate/Critic/Censor: you can only take opposite points of view for the sake of an argument and be an antagonist
  7. Reflector/Thinker/Speculator/Observer/Watcher: you can only observe, watch, reflect, think meditate, and speculate on the discussion
  8. Warrior/Debater/Arguer/Conqueror/Bloodletter: you can only take your ideas into action, debate with others, persist in your arguments and never surrender or compromise nomatter what the casualties are
  9. Idea Squelcher/Biased/Preconceiver: you can only squelch good and bad ideas of others and submit your own prejudiced/biased ideas
  10. Slacker/Slough/Slug/Surfer Dude: you can only sit back quietly and listen, make others do all the work for you, and generally have a laid back attitude (i.e., go to the beach)
  11. Artist/Idea Person/Visionary/Muse: you can only create, draw, and present proposals, alternatives, provocations, and new ideas
  12. Planner/Predictor/Guesser/Flowcharter: you can only think ahead of the rest in a rational, logical, and structured way and then plan, predict, and guess where we should head or what we should do next
  13. Organizer/Starter/Founder/Initiator: you can only initiate and organize large scale change, flowchart possible growth patterns, and generate new ways for doing things
  14. Questioner/Ponderer/Protester: you can only question, ponder, and protest the ideas of others and the problem presented itself (i.e., since you are a radical, ultra-liberal individual)
  15. Emotional/Sensitive/Intuitive you can only be the fire and warmth of emotions, feelings, hunches, and intuitions
  16. Adventurer/Discoverer/Explorer/Traveler: you can only suggest areas of new discovery, exploration, and unchartered territories
  17. Mediator/Negotiator/Compromiser/Peacemaker: you can only mediate, negotiate, compromise, and create the peace between warring/arguing parties
  18. Watchdog/Evaluator/Measurer: you can only point out bad, dangerous, and stupid ideas with your very conservative but truthful facts (i.e., you keep everybody honest; especially the radical, ultra-liberal protestor types)
  19. Creative Energy/Inventor/Generator/Brainstormer: you can only bring energy to the conversations and generate lots of fresh ideas and new perspectives to the conference
  20. Optimist/Open-minded/Idealist: you can only note what appear to be feasible, profitable, ideal, and "sunny" ideas
  21. Robotic/Information Dumper/Spock-like: you can only focus on the information provided, the facts, and the logic of ideas made
  22. Absent Minded/Stumpler/Dense/Aimless: you can only stumble and bumble your way through the material but occasionally with some pretty heady, insightful, and esoteric comment
  23. Coach/Facilitator/Inspirator/Trainer: you can only provide hints, clues, supports, and highly motivational speeches to get everyone fired-up or at least one lost individual back on track
  24. Guide/Mentor/Teacher/Scaffolder: you can only provide prompts, hints, cues, recommendations, suggestions, and encouragement that lead or scaffold the learners to new heights (most of the time without their awareness)
  25. Humanitarian/Do Gooder/Fund Raiser: you can only go out of your way to lend insight into what is fair and equitable for all, lend a hand in helping someone understand, and do whatever it takes to help someone learn and grow if he or she is c onfused
  26. Funny/Humorous/Comic/Witty: you can only provide quips of humor and add laughter to lighten up the discussion/mood (you might act out in class, but this is expected of you)
  27. Advisor/Responder/Helper/Tutor: you can only provide counsel, guidance, suggestion, or recommendations (basically, you assist in the learning process); you cannot solve the problem for them
  28. Worldly/Wiseperson/Sage/Guru/Spiritual Leader: you can only provide quotes, sayings, encouragement, paradoxes, and bits of wisdom that display cunning, sagacity, and shrewd insight (you cannot solve the problem for them, however)

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