Taking a Stab at Drafting

Today, taking a stab at beginning to draft the article for TETYC. I'm beginning with the implications that I sketched out way back in February, at the conference in Texas. The first step, I think, is to figure out what to write about first. I have these implications--some are bigger than others. I need to search for an order here. How shall I present them? Here goes:

1. Adult students carry with them diverse literacy histories and varied relationships to school and/or academic literacy. While some may carry the baggage of disappointment and/or failure, others will bring literacy stories of success and empowerment (all).
   
2. Many adult students are immersed in complex webs of literacy in their workplaces, where writing doesn't necessarily draw attention to itself but serves, instead, to help get done the work of the day (Charlene/Patrice, Tony, John, Jennifer). 
   
3. Adult students will likely have considerable experience producing specific genres of workplace writing--what Devitt (2007) has called "antecedent" genres. Such genres often come to have considerable hold over adult students' composing practices. Knowledge of antecedent genres may help or hinder adult students in their transition to academic literacy (John, Tony, Jennifer).
   
4. Conventions of authorship in the workplace are different from those of the classroom and unless instructed otherwise, adult students are likely to transport workplace conventions to the classroom (Tony).
   
5. Because adult students are immersed in a range of professional and/or civic/social communities, they often arrive in the classroom with real literacy problems and goals in hand. These serve as potential resources to be tapped by literacy instructors (Tony, Patrice/Charlene, Jennifer).
6. Similarly, some adult students, when they arrive in the classroom, may already be engaged in self-sponsored literacy projects which could serve as potential resources. (John's blog, Charlene's memoirs).
7. In their capacity as workers and family and community members, many adult students are not just writers, but serve as teachers of writing and/or local writing consultants. (Tony, Diane, Charlene, Patrice).
   

Are there others? There may be some that come up along the way. But for now, that's a pretty good list, I think. The next task is going through and thinking who can illustrate these implications. I've begun this.