Abstract: This paper discusses the need for educators to incorporate digital tools in the academic writing process. Using digital tools allows educators to support community, collaboration, and communication. This paper presents two teaching cases examining the influence of digital tools in the academic writing process. The first teaching case looks at a group of graduate students engaged in a collaborative writing assignment and the ways they harnessed digital tools to recommend a change in educational technology policy. The second teaching case looks at a group of doctoral students who formed a writing group in order to reduce isolation during the dissertation writing process. Ultimately these cases demonstrate the need for digital tools to support collaborative academic writing in efficient, effective, and meaningful ways.