As the availability of digital technology in public schools spreads, teachers are tasked with implementing new technologies in their classroom. One of these technologies is online discussion forums. This qualitative multiple case study focused on how three teachers used online discussions to facilitate collaboration and student development in their high school English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms. Specifically, this research focused on how teachers facilitated text-centered online discussions, how teachers modified instruction based on analysis of the written responses in the online discussions, and how students interacted in online discussions and how these interactions impacted student writing. Data collection included a teacher questionnaire given to teachers at the beginning of the data collection period, individual teacher interviews conducted at the beginning and end of data collection, a series of three focus group interviews, the transcripts of six online discussions, and an anonymous survey given to the teachers’ students. Findings revealed three major themes: the design of the prompt and rubric for the discussions shaped students’ responses, the absence of the teachers’ voices in the online discussions impacted how students viewed the discussions, and embedding the discussions in larger instructional units gave teachers a preview of the students’ writing and reading needs.