-- How do I interpret user needs and implement them into a program? How does creating “user stories” help with this?
Agile's use of user stories are an integral part of development. User stories are essentially reports that inform the developers/product owners of what the userbase would like to see in the program in terms of its functionality. After having processed/formed user stories from the feedback received, they are broken down into explicit goals that can be achieved through development. This is a recurring process that would continue during each iteration of the project, continuously informing its direction.
-- How do I approach developing programs? What agile processes do I hope to incorporate into my future development work?
One of my personal issues is that I sort of "wing it" whenever I'm writing programs on my own. This is mostly due to my intentions, which haven't really been to write fully-functional and elaborate applications quite yet - I'm mostly just tinkering and trying out various languages and frameworks. Although agile development places a special emphasis on flexibility and isn't overtly plan-driven, it can hardly be considered "winging it." I'd like to be able to take agile's sort of soft/general planning to plot out ideas before programming, and try to use short iterations to get just one version done - before re-assessing and giving it another.
-- What does it mean to be a good team member in software development?
Being open and honest in your communication is probably the most important part of working with a team. Asking for help when you need it, being available to help others, being able to explain your ideas/work to other members effectively - all these things are vital when working with others.