Rather than learning to write, students have been asked to perform writing simulations, artifacts that pass muster measured against surface-level checklists as part of a system rooted in assessment and standardization. They are proficient at creating imitations, but largely inexperienced with the kind of critical thinking which underpins effective writing and sound communication. This Great Conversation features John Paul Kanwit, the IU Bloomington Campus Writing Program Director, and John Warner, author of many books including “Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities”. Writing is thinking and is about making choices consistent with the audience, purpose, and message of the piece of writing. The challenge of engaging students as thinkers starts with authentic assignments that require students to wrestle with the choices writers make.​