SAN DIEGO, California - In vibrant colors painted on a canvas of silk, one banner depicts a Central American flute player against a background of lush mangoes. Another captures watery reflections of the Taj Mahal. A third, evoking Asian themes, shows the gods doing battle with fierce dragons.

When teacher Nancy Dome describes the artwork her students produced for a recent project that also integrated technology, social studies, and language arts, she doesn't attempt to disguise her delight. "These are phenomenal pieces," she says. For many of her students, the project also served as an introduction to technology as a resource for learning. Most important, it has provided them with tangible evidence that they can succeed in school.

The scarves represent what the class discovered about other cultures.

Dome teaches in a self-contained classroom called University Summit, where up to 23 students in grades 8-12 share at least one thing in common: all have been expelled from the traditional public school setting. University Summit is housed in a strip mall, where San Diego Court and Community School District has leased space for an alternative school setting.

Dome has been working in this setting since she began her teaching career nine years ago. Earlier, she served a similar population of at-risk kids, but in a group home. "I wanted to be on the education side," she says, explaining her career choice. What keeps her motivated "is their success. I get to see them grow up, start to blossom, realize their potential. I love coming to work."

Many students face a steep learning curve to overcome past struggles in school. "Most are way behind grade level" when they arrive, the teacher says. "I've had seniors who have come in reading at the second-grade level." They spend the whole day with Dome, who teaches all the core subjects. She uses art and PE to augment math, science, language arts, and social studies.

Since she began working toward a doctorate in educational technology four years ago, Dome has also embedded technology into the curriculum. When it comes to familiarity with computers, her students lag far behind most of their peers. "I have to start by teaching them how to turn on the computer. They don't have access to technology at home," Dome says, and many students previously attended schools where "there was maybe one computer in the classroom, and students never got a chance to touch it."

Access is improving at University Summit, where a Digital High School grant has funded nine classroom computers, scanners, and other digital equipment. Soon, high-speed Internet access will be added, replacing dial-up modems.

The recent scarf-making project was the culmination of a unit designed to introduce students to technology. Dome assigned students to use the Internet and other reference materials, such as digital encyclopedias, to learn about a particular country that was unfamiliar to them. "They had to do research about a country and its cultural side. That's where the art came in," she explains. The goal was for each student to find a piece of art, or a particular artistic style, that resonated with them. Then, they were to interpret the work in their own painting. Their canvas: a four-foot-by-one-foot silk scarf.

Before they got to start painting, however, students first had to produce a written report on their research. Dome asked for multiple drafts, teaching students to use word processing software to revise and improve their writing. "Many of them said they had never written with such success before," she says.

The project also offered some lessons in learning styles. "A lot of these students are kinesthetic learners. They haven't functioned well in traditional settings where the focus is on mathematical-logical learning styles," Dome notes. Integrating art making into the unit "gave them a way to share their talents." What's more, using computers for research allowed students to pursue individual interests when it came to selecting a country to study and an artist or artistic style to interpret. " They were motivated, and following their own interests."

At the end of the project, an administrator happened to see the banners hanging on a wall and invited students to donate them to a scholarship fund-raiser. Every banner was sold, and the profits donated to a college scholarship fund called Dollars for Scholars. That was another boost for students' self-esteem. "They were proud to contribute," says Dome, who used a digital camera to photograph each artist with his or her creation. "This project just took on a life of its own."

For a more detailed look at the lesson plans and resources for "The Silk of Our Lives" see the unit plan, http://educate.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/UnitPlanIndex/SilkOfOurLives/.