AARON MCPHERSON

Student Learning and Development

 

Category: Proficient

 

In this competency, I have developed in the following areas:

• “Articulate theories and models that describe the development of college students and the conditions and practices that facilitate holistic development (e.g. learning, psychosocial and identity development, cognitive-structural, typological, environmental, and moral)” (p. 32)

• “Articulate how race, ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, dis/ability, and religious belief can influence development during the college years” (p. 32)

• “Articulate one’s own developmental journey in relation to formal theories” (p. 32)

• “Construct learning outcomes for both daily practice as well as teaching and training activities” (p.32)

• “ Justify using learning theory to create learning opportunities” (p. 32)

• “Construct effective programs, lesson plans, and syllabi” (p. 32)

 

Activities: 

 

CSP 6020. Before coming into this program I had no exposure to developmental theories, neither in general nor as they related to students during college. Much of my understanding of these theories came from the foundational course in the CSP program on student development in college. Through this course I was exposed to different theories that cover sexual identity, race, gender, epistemological, and many other sectors of development. This class was specifically useful in helping me understand development around sexual identity. By building this understanding, specifically of gay identity development, I have been able to better understand my own journey and can better articulate that to students and colleagues. Outside of typical class discussion and reading, two assignments were formative in developing my understanding theory and how it applies to students, the immersion project and the formal theory paper. Through the immersion project, I was able to better understand the experiences of low income students and how they are supported and change during college. This understanding was especially important going into CSP 6035. The formal theory paper allowed me to dive deeper into another topic I was unfamiliar with, faith development theory, and my increased understanding through this paper helped me relate better to students who have a strong faith or religious affiliation.

 

PLA Forum. Through my practicum in the Center for Leadership I have had the opportunity to lead a team in planning and implementing monthly leadership meetings for the President’s Leadership Academy. During the planning process, I encouraged my team to consider different learning styles that existed across students from different backgrounds and ages. We read different theoretical pieces that helped formed an understanding of how to develop activities and sessions that would be useful for a diverse population of students. As a result we were able to construct learning outcomes for the year and each session. From here we developed session outlines and programs that would contribute to these learning outcomes for all those in attendance. By creating structured learning outcomes and session outlines, we were able to ensure that students from diverse racial and economic backgrounds would be able to get something out of the leadership meetings. Another strong focus of planning and implementation was ensuring that the programs designed were useful for anybody developmentally because the meetings included students from first-year students to seniors.

 

Thompson Working Family Scholars One-on-Ones. In my Center for Leadership practicum I also had the opportunity to advise a group of scholarship students who come from working class families. This experience allowed me to apply a 360-degree advising model, while applying developmental theories at different points during the semester. Through monthly one-on-one meetings I was able to apply theory to help students with transitions, difficult roommate situations, academics, and time management. This experience gave me the opportunity to have face-to-face contact with students in a capacity where I was able to think about where they were developmentally, and adjust my strategies to help them. Most specifically I used transition theory and identity development theories to help them, but occasionally thought of where students were cognitively in order to better understand where students were coming from.

 

Reference 

ACPA & NASPA (2015).  Professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners.  Washington, DC: Authors.