ACPA & NASPA Professional Competencies Snapshot
• Articulate theories and models that describe the development of college students and the conditions and
practices that facilitate holistic development.
• Articulate how differences of race, ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender
identity, disability, and religious belief can influence development during the college years.
• Identify and define types of theories (e.g., learning, psychosocial and identity development, cognitive-
structural, typological, and environmental).
• Identify the limitations in applying existing theories and models to varying student demographic groups.
• Explain theory to diverse audiences (e.g., colleagues, faculty, students, parents, policy makers) and use
it effectively to enhance understanding of the work of student affairs.
Formal Theory Paper
First and foremost I view myself as an educator and as such student learning and development are the backbone of my practice. During my first semester in the CSP program I had the opportunity to meet with and interview a first-year student over the course of two months. These interviews subsequently informed my formal theory paper for Theory and Assessment of College Student Development. The main objective of this assignment was to utilize student development theories firsthand by assessing a student’s development and providing suggestions for future development.
Through this paper and my interactions with my student, I learned the intricacies and complexities of using student development theories with actual students. I quickly came to learn that students do not fit neatly into each theory, reflected by my student. For example, in assessing his racial identity development using Cross and Fhagen-Smith, it became clear that my student had not experienced most of the prescribed stages. Furthermore, the concept of intersectionality between different identities was present within my student. At one moment, my student openly acknowledged that his racial identity is not as strong as his sexual orientation identity, because the latter had a greater influence growing up in a mono-racial environment.
Additionally, through this project I learned that theory is not prescriptive and it is not necessarily a definite roadmap that all students follow. As a professional, I do not use theory in a manner that is manipulative to gain the results that I want. Our students are unique and come from a variety of experiences and backgrounds. As such, theory serves as a lens through which I can understand my students within the context of their experiences. Experiencing the struggle of placing my student firmly within a theory helped me come to this conclusion, ultimately informing my integration of theory into my everyday practice. Through this paper I developed my understanding of how to appropriately utilize and understand theory.
To this day I still keep in touch with the student I interviewed and it has been an immense joy watching him develop into a bright and talented leader on campus.
Student Programming Board Conference Assignment
BGSU student leaders and me at the National NACA conference. Charlotte, NC, February 2012.
ACPA & NASPA Professional Competencies Snapshot
• Generate ways in which various learning theories and models can inform training and teaching
practice.
• Identify and construct learning outcomes for both daily practice as well as teaching and
training activities.
• Identify and take advantage of opportunities for curriculum and program development and
construct, where appropriate, in order to encourage continual learning and developmental
growth.
• Construct effective lesson plans and syllabi.
Advising a student programming board I believe in being intentional in crafting learning experiences for my students. One of my responsibilities was to coordinate and lead trips for students to attend the national and regional National Association of Campus Activities conferences. During these conventions students attended educational sessions and learned how to network and collaborate with professionals and other students. To ensure that students were learning and making connections to their positions in the programming board I developed and implemented an educational component to the trips. Learning objectives, outcomes, and activities were identified and created for each trip. Prior to leaving, I met with the students to discuss the learning activities that they would be required to complete as a result of attending. Students were asked to complete three reflective journal entries as well as work together to create and present a 10-15 minute educational presentation for the student programming board about what they learned at the conference.
Designing the various components for this assignment helped me further develop my skills of creating effective lesson plans. For example, I utilized learning styles theories (e.g. Kolb, Gardner) to inform the format of the assignments – students were allowed to complete the assignment in a variety of formats that best suited their learning styles. I also used Bloom’s Taxonomy to create the guiding questions, ensuring that students had opportunities to reflect, apply, and synthesize their knowledge. I also developed my ability to create identifiable learning outcomes that supported the mission and values of the student organization and Office of Campus Activities.
Student Teaching: Ancient Greece Unit (5th Grade)
ACPA & NASPA Professional Competencies Snapshot
• Generate ways in which various learning theories and models can inform
training and teaching practice.
• Identify and construct learning outcomes for both daily practice as well as
teaching and training activities.
• Assess teaching, learning, and training and incorporate the results into
practice.
• Design programs and services to promote student learning and
development that are based on current research on student learning and
development theories.
• Utilize theory-to-practice models to inform individual or unit practice.
• Identify and take advantage of opportunities for curriculum and program
development and construct, where appropriate, in order to encourage
continual learning and developmental growth.
• Construct effective lesson plans and syllabi.
• Create and assess learning outcomes to evaluate progress toward fulfilling the mission of the department, the division, and the institution.
• Teach, train, and practice in such a way that utilizes the assessment of learning outcomes to inform future practice.
This artifact of the Ancient Greece unit lesson plan from my student teaching experience as a senior at Bucknell University serves to further demonstrate my ability to develop, teach, and assess developmentally appropriate, research-based lesson plans that incorporate theory and include standards, learning outcomes, differentiated instruction, and differentiated and sustainable assessments.
Student learning is the focal point of my practice as a student affairs professional. As a certified elementary school teacher, my undergraduate degree was deeply rooted in student learning and developmental theory. As such, this educational foundation greatly influences my advising and supervision of student leaders. To demonstrate an exemplary understanding of student learning and development I discuss my formal theory paper, a student leader conference assignment, and finally a month-long unit lesson plan from my student teaching experience.