The Financial Crisis and Its Impact on China Research Paper

The Financial Crisis and Its Impact on China - Research Paper Example Chinese economy has never depended upon the risky Western financial measures. They rather treasure their deposits. In spite of this secured state, Chinese economy suffered fluctuations The global financial crisis has started shaking the Chinese economy as the ripple effect from American economy has worsened the already falling Chinese markets. Worldwide demand for their exports has been reduced. This resulted in the stopping of domestic industrial production. Factories have been closed and the employees lay off that led to unemployment and protests. Towards the end of 2008 they announced a $586 billion stimulus package targeted towards bettering growth and domestic consumption in ten different sectors of Chinese society. Infrastructure investment, disaster reconstruction, environmental safety measures are some of the sectors that have been touched. The package is expected to help iron and steel sectors, cement producers and certain other industries through the investment put on infra structure. The new step also improved growth by taking off loan quotas on lenders and raising credit for different projects that support rural areas and small scale businesses. Government has recognized the sectors where they really felt decline and announced packages that can bring up the economy. They have made reduction in interest rates and devoted funds for infrastructure construction. Steps have also been taken to improve real estate sales. China has also announced heavy rebates on taxes put on exporters. In the third quarter of the year 2008 the growth rate was just nine percent. This is the slowest rate the nation has witnessed in the last five years. China has also faced a consecutive fall in housing prices. Other industrial sectors like textiles, information technology and electricity production have also encountered decline. China is not heavily affected by the financial crisis like other countries because of its closed financial system. They are however affected by the f inancial crisis in innumerable ways. Other countries that have been fallen because of crisis urge China to extend a financial help hand by raising its own exports. A small slowdown in the financial growth rate of China is expected to bring big results. Certain economics have warned that China will encounter a serious recession even if its growth rate falls slightly below six percent. Chinese should keep at least nine percent growth rate to maintain its growing labor force and take farmers to the urban sectors. The international financial crisis has wounded different aspects of Chinese economy even though the actual impact is not completely visible in the year on year comparison. The most visible impact of the crisis is the loss seen in export-oriented light industry in China. Thousands of companies have fallen; thousands of workers have lost their jobs. According to the official reports more than ten million migrant workers have lost their jobs and returned to their native provinces . Industries in China have been highly affected because of the economic crisis. It has severely affected the equipment manufacturing industry. Chinese government had to introduce equipment manufacturing adjustment and boosting plan for countering the fall. Priority is given to the equipment manufacturing sector. This sector has been upgraded and supported by government. Independent innovation has been encouraged; this

Brand Building And Positioning For Cadburys Marketing Essay

Brand Building And Positioning For Cadburys Marketing Essay The history behind marketing efforts of most modern businesses is that the company should recognise the needs of their customers and produce products and services to gratify those needs. Like this, the customer is in the middle of the business and the decision-making process. A business which monitors this viewpoint is a market-orientated. In this unit Im going to be focusing on Cadburys and House of Fraser and how they operate. Im also going to talking about the marketing techniques and relationship marketing. The production concept this is where a business concentrates on producing economies of scale in production and distribution of product or service. This undertakes that customers will purchase items that are lower priced; this is so that the demand is driven by availability. Examples of this can be found in construction suppliers, where construction firms will purchase cheaper building materials to increase their profit margins. Cadburys and House of Fraser do not come under the product concept. For example, a builder selling bricks to someone comes under this section, whereas the two other organisations dont. The sales concept this is mainly known as the hard sell this is because the product or service is produced and personal selling and other high pressure selling skills are used to convince customers to part with their money. Example of this could be in a place where double glazing is sold. The marketing concept unlike all the others above, the marketing concept puts all t heir customers first, they want to put their customers in the centre of all decisions before the product or service is developed. By doing this the business is likely going to be more efficient and doing this will benefit the company and/or market. Focusing investment on products that customers are going to need and use instead of investing in products that customers may not like which means they wont purchase it. Cadburys uses a good strategy to connect with people, the way they achieve this is by sponsoring and promoting their products or even TV programmes. Cadburys In 1824, John Cadbury opened a grocers shop at 93 Bull Street, Birmingham in the 1830s. Among other things, he sold cocoa and drinking chocolate, which he prepared himself using a pestle and mortar. Johns wares werent just inspired by his tastes; they were driven by his beliefs. Tea, coffee, cocoa and drinking chocolate were seen as healthy, delicious alternatives to alcohol, which Quakers deemed bad for society. House of Fraser House of Fraser is a British premium department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. Although established in Glasgow House of Frasers largest store is located in Birmingham. By 1891 it was known as Fraser Sons. Marketing Techniques (Growth Strategies) The business analyst Igor Ansoff outlined some important strategies for business growth. He identified four key approaches to growing a business in 1957. Market penetration is a group of customers who may buy a product, so if someone was to produce a video game for the PS3 to be sold in the UK, your market would likely to be people in the UK who own PS3s. A business could grow by increasing the number of people in the market who purchase your product. Market development is when a company markets an existing product to a new market. For example, the PS3 game, you might want to sell your game to different countries. Nothing about the product changes it just gets sold to another market. Product development is when a business develops a new product to sell to the existing customers. So once a customer has bought your product you could sell them something else such as, an expansion pack that may include more content. Diversification here is where a business markets new products to new customers. This works two different ways, the business could produce a new product in that area that it understands or it could go into a completely different area that is an unrelated area. House of Fraser uses the flexible incentive by allowing these things: Ease of ordering Online services Free, fast and a secure delivery Fulfilment House of Fraser Business Incentive vouchers are available in denominations of  £1,  £5,  £10,  £25,  £50 and  £100. You can order by post with a cheque or credit card using the enclosed order form, or by phone with a credit card. Credit account customers may order via email. All vouchers can now be redeemed online. Your House of Fraser vouchers will be despatched next day if the order is received by 11.00am. The Business Incentives team will be happy to arrange delivery direct to multiple addresses, on request. A small handling fee is levied for this service. n order to increase sales Cadburys needs to undertake a range of marketing activities before deciding upon the best way to encourage the purchase of its product. When identifying the basic principals which Cadburys must apply to its marketing will be its basic objectives because all business must have objectives it allows them to increase sales and make profit. Corporate aims are the long term intentions of a business, whereas corporate objectives are the specific targets required to achieve the aims. The common aim and objectives of the corporation such as Cadbury includes the following: Survival Profit maximisation- which is often taken to be the reason why firms exists and to be the primary objectives in practices most firms have a hierarchy of objectives when a firms survival is threaten it may profit maximise in order to restore its financial health. Growth- which includes Cadbury selling new products or expanding overseas. Diversification- which is the spreading of business risks by reducing dependence on one product. Sales maximisation- which is the increasing of sales Improving the product image-which includes creating a new logo or launching a new brand of product and creating more attractive packaging. For example, Cadbury set out two objectives for the development of their chocolate, Fuse. These were: 1. To grow the market for chocolate confectionery 2. To increase Cadburys share of the snacking sector Cadbury promotes its products in various ways such as the use of above the line promotion, which is where a product is advertised through consumer media such as television, magazines, newspapers and radio. Relationship marketing (Cadburys House of Fraser) Relationship marketing is where a business concentrates on the long term value of a customer. This means knowing who the valuable customers are, starting relationships, maintaining enhancing and terminating them in order to produce a sustainable profit. Cadbury Schweppes is a marketing focused company. Its success depends on on satisfying the needs of its consumers. It is able to do this by frequently listening to consumers and learning about their changing necessities. In response to these requirements, Cadbury Schweppes strives to create new products, build on existing core brands and find new ways to add value to existing products. By gaining the visibility, profitability and volume in the global market, a business is best placed to provide its consumers with quality products and the best value for money. House of Fraser are responsible for all central marketing communications sent directly to customers this includes all email newsletters, messages in their Recognition Card member statements, local targeted mailings on behalf of stores or suppliers and national mailings/emails about events and offers for example, sales, launch of new season. Brand awareness A common marketing objective is to raise customers brand awareness. This could relate to a businesss overall brand for example, BMW or to a product brand within the company for example, Mini. Effective raising of brand awareness can raise sales; this is because customers will subconsciously or consciously try to find a brand when buying an item or service. A high level of brand exists where consumers start to use the brand name in place of the product type. The House of Fraser brand is differentiated from other department store groups in the UK by our 160 year history in the UK retail market, their wide geographic reach (across the UK and on-line), broad range of high quality premium branded merchandise offered at competitive prices, our increasing exclusive House Brand offering and our commitment to providing an imaginative, exciting and relevant shopping experience to their customers. The Cadbury brand has a profound impact on individual product brands. Brands have individual personalities aimed at specific target markets for specific needs e.g.TimeOut, for example, is an ideal snack to have with a cup of tea. These brands derive benefit from the Cadbury parentage, including quality and taste credentials. To ensure the success of product brands every aspect of the parent brand is focused on. A Flake, Crunchie or TimeOut are clearly different and are manufactured to appeal to a variety of consumer segments. House of Fraser have a voucher discount scheme their vouchers carry exceptional discounts as shown below. The discount may be deducted from the invoice or taken as additional vouchers. As a finishing touch we can supply complimentary wallets and envelopes in which to present the vouchers. These can also be personalised with your companys logo, if required (there is a print cost associated with personalisation, please ask the Business Incentives team for details). Brand building and positioning It takes time, patience, effort and investment for brand building and maintenance. It is essential for a business to first recognise its brand values. The central messages that it wants is its customers to understand when they think of the brand. For example, the car Mercedes- Benz, this car is high performance, safety and prestige. Brand building and positioning for Cadburys Cadburys has identified these brand values and adjusts its advertising strategies to reflect these values in different markets. Its strategy can vary from increasing brand awareness, educating potential customers about a new product, increasing seasonal purchases, or as is currently the case in the Choose Cadbury campaign to highlight the positive emotional value of the brand. In Ireland, Cadbury has identified three key consumer segments of impulse, take home and gift. These segments reflect consumers decision-making processes. Since its inception, Cadbury in India has stayed ahead thanks to their constant marketing initiatives, that have at all points in time understood the needs of and opportunities in a changing nation but Nestle had stood firm in second position resulting from their responsibilities and providing quality products. Amul an Indian company has been able to create brand quality and thus selling their product through their name. Brand building and positioning for House of Fraser One of the most valuable aspects of the House of Fraser brand is the equity built up over many years as an endorser of the prestigious brands they have as part of our portfolio. Their ability to have a uniform and clear brand identity across all our channels is therefore of paramount importance,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨as so that they look to leverage this heritage in the exciting development of our brand. The House of Fraser Business Incentives team is available to advise you on how to maximise the effectiveness of our vouchers. Well be happy to discuss your objectives, make recommendations and, if required, create an individually tailored package. Our experience in the field can help you develop promotional ideas and we can suggest ways of adding value for example, through use of the House of Fraser Personal Shopping service. OBJECTIVE OF ADVERTISING To educate the Market Building brand awareness To encourage seasonal purchases To increase consumption

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. :: essays research papers fc

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have a dream, he had a vested interest in acquiring equality in the black community. His nonviolent approach to obtain equality for African Americans had an immense effect on society as a whole. King believed that in order to make a change you have to start where you are, use what you know, and do what you can to make a difference.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I support King’s approach to gain equality. King demonstrated to America that though nonviolence might not be the approach we always want to take, because it will sometimes destroy our egos. Through his faith in god it helped him to motivate us so that we could be the better race. It took more than whips, hoses, sticks, and segregation to keep Black America down. The government kicked them off the high horse to the ground, and as a Black Nation we jumped back on the saddle and rode on to victory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. King started with the Civil Rights Movement, and from there he kept on going. This movement started with a phone call about Rosa Parks being arrested for not surrendering her seat to a white bus rider. King and other leaders felt that a protest of some kind was needed. A meeting in the community was called, they agreed that the only way to fight back would be to boycott the bus company. The people in the locale agreed to participate and that started the Montgomery Bus Boycott. As they continued to withhold patronage the white community fought back with terrorism and harassment. The community complained and King told them, “We must learn to meet hate with love.'; Although King’s views were continuously challenged by blacks who had lost faith in nonviolence, his belief in the power of nonviolence protest remained strong. The boycott lasted for 381 days. It eventually took the United States Supreme Court to end the boycott. On November 13,1956 the court declared that Alabama’s state and local laws requiring segregation on buses were illegal. King believed that the boycott proved that “There is a new Negro in the south with a sense of dignity and destiny. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. :: essays research papers fc Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have a dream, he had a vested interest in acquiring equality in the black community. His nonviolent approach to obtain equality for African Americans had an immense effect on society as a whole. King believed that in order to make a change you have to start where you are, use what you know, and do what you can to make a difference.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I support King’s approach to gain equality. King demonstrated to America that though nonviolence might not be the approach we always want to take, because it will sometimes destroy our egos. Through his faith in god it helped him to motivate us so that we could be the better race. It took more than whips, hoses, sticks, and segregation to keep Black America down. The government kicked them off the high horse to the ground, and as a Black Nation we jumped back on the saddle and rode on to victory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. King started with the Civil Rights Movement, and from there he kept on going. This movement started with a phone call about Rosa Parks being arrested for not surrendering her seat to a white bus rider. King and other leaders felt that a protest of some kind was needed. A meeting in the community was called, they agreed that the only way to fight back would be to boycott the bus company. The people in the locale agreed to participate and that started the Montgomery Bus Boycott. As they continued to withhold patronage the white community fought back with terrorism and harassment. The community complained and King told them, “We must learn to meet hate with love.'; Although King’s views were continuously challenged by blacks who had lost faith in nonviolence, his belief in the power of nonviolence protest remained strong. The boycott lasted for 381 days. It eventually took the United States Supreme Court to end the boycott. On November 13,1956 the court declared that Alabama’s state and local laws requiring segregation on buses were illegal. King believed that the boycott proved that “There is a new Negro in the south with a sense of dignity and destiny.

To Examine Pressure Ulcers Health And Social Care Essay

Pressure ulcers as stated by the European Pressure Ulcers Advisory Panel ( EPUAP, 2007 ) : â€Å" A force per unit area ulcer is localised hurt to the tegument and/or underlying tissue normally over a cadaverous prominence, as a consequence of force per unit area, or force per unit area in combination with shear and/or clash. A figure of lending or confusing factors are besides associated with force per unit area ulcers ; the significance of these factors is yet to be elucidated. † In add-on, National Institute for Clinical Excellence ( NICE, 2008 ) defines a force per unit area ulcers as â€Å" A force per unit area ulcer is harm that occurs on the tegument and implicit in tissue. Pressure ulcers are caused by three chief things: Pressure – the weight of the organic structure pressing down on the tegument. Shear – the beds of the tegument are forced to skid over one another or over deeper tissues, for illustration when you slide down, or are pulled up, a bed or chair or when you are reassigning to and from your wheelchair. Friction – rubbing the tegument † . Some of the force per unit area ulcers intrinsic causes ( built-in to single ) include decrease mobility, incontinency ( Horn, 2004 ) , old age, malnutrition, hapless hygiene, dry tegument, diabetes mellitus and surgery ( ex. hip break ) and anemia ( Gunningberg, 2000 ) . Some extrinsic causes include clash, shearing forces, hypothermia ( Scott, 2001 ) and length of surgery ( Houwing, 2004 ) . Pressure ulcers are a common complication of lessening mobility due to hip break with reported incidence of between 8.8 % and 55 % ( Baumgarten, 2003 ) . Harmonizing to Versluysen ( 1985 ) , 17 % of patients that is admitted to hospital for surgery had force per unit area ulcers upon admittance and that 34 % developed lesions during the first hebdomad of stay in infirmary. Versluysen ( 1986 ) conducted another survey that 66 % of the patients with hep break developed force per unit area ulcer, bulk of these force per unit area ulcers appeared during the first 48 hours of admittance. Incontinenc e increases the hazard of holding a force per unit area ulcer because of the inordinate wet on the tegument, moist tegument adhere to the mattress therefore consequences to increased shearing forces ( Defloor and Grypdonck, 1999 ) . Dry tegument besides increases the hazard of holding force per unit area ulcers because of the reduced snap of the tegument ( Gunnigberg, 2000 ) . Surgery itself ( Lindgren, 2005 ) and length of surgery of 4 hours or more ( Schoonhoven, 2002 ) have been reported to increase the hazard of developing a force per unit area ulcer. In 2005, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has issued clinical guidelines to the National Health Service ( NHS ) about force per unit area ulcers. The guidelines are about bar and intervention of force per unit area ulcers, which are recommended for the usage of physicians, nurses and other health care professionals working in the National Health Service in England and Wales. The guidelines were prepared by health care professionals, scientist, and people stand foring the position of those who have or attention for person with the status. The groups make a recommendation based on the grounds available at the clip the recommendation is made on the best manner of handling or pull offing the status, and these clinical guidelines are recommended for good pattern. Under these NICE guidelines ( 2005 ) , it recommends that healthcare professional work together with the patients in order for the patients to hold an active function in doing determination sing their program of att ention with the pick to affect their carer if they wished to. It besides mentioned that health care squad should esteem and take into consideration the patient ‘s cognition, experience, and demands, particularly if the patient has have been at hazard of developing force per unit area ulcers for a long clip. Furthermore, it besides mentioned that patients and carer should be given developing and information as to the grounds why the patient is at hazard of developing force per unit area ulcer, parts of the organic structure most at hazard to hold force per unit area ulcer, how to inspect the tegument and acknowledge the alterations in the tegument, how to alleviate force per unit area, and supply information to the patient and carer where to happen aid, advice, and support. Pressure on the tegument over cadaverous prominence such as sacrum, hips, cubituss, mortise joints, heels and shoulder causes decreased blood flow to the tissue, therefore cut downing tissue oxygenation. If this force per unit area is non relieved, the affected country starts to alter coloring material, inflammation to patients with just skin tone and bluish for patients with darker tegument tone and deemed to be ‘at hazard ‘ ( EPUAP, 2009 ) and may turn out to be difficult to observe, which so advancement to a more intensive tissue hurt if no attention is given. Members of the European Pressure Ulcers Advisory Panel and National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel ( 2009 ) have had on-going treatment about many similarities the two organisation ‘s force per unit area ulcer grading/staging systems. They developed a common international categorization system and definition for force per unit area ulcers. EPUAP and NPUAP attempted to happen a common word to depict the class and phase but to no help. The word class was recommended as a impersonal term against phase and class and has the advantage of being non-hierarchical. They recognize that there is a similarity to the words – phase and class, and hence, they suggested to utilize whatever is most clear and understood. The most important addition from this partnership is that the degrees of skin-tissue harm and definition of force per unit area ulcer are the same, even though they may be labelled otherwise. Pressure ulcers are classified into four ( 4 ) stages/categories based on the EPUAP ( 2009 ) categorization system. Non-blanching erythema is labelled as grade/category I, the tegument is integral with inflammation that is non-blanching of a localised country over a bony prominence when light force per unit area is applied. The affected country may be painful, house, soft, and heater or ice chest compared to the environing tissue. As mentioned earlier, patients with dark skin tone may be hard to measure and hold ‘at hazard ‘ . Partial thickness skin loss of both or either one of the first or 2nd bed of the tegument called cuticle and corium is classed as stage/category II, this stage/category of force per unit area ulcer presents itself in many ways, it can be a ruddy or glistening shallow ulcer without gangrene ( bed of dead tissue separated from the environing ) , may besides show itself as an integral or ruptured sero-sanginous filled or serum-filled blister, or merely bruising. Stage/category III is characterized with full thickness skin loss ; it involves harm to or the loss of hypodermic fat but non musculus, sinew, or bone. Pressure ulcer in this stage/category varies harmonizing to the site affected. Stage/category IV portraits as force per unit area ulcer with full thickness skin loss with extended harm of tissue which may include musculuss, facia, and other supporting construction and may set the patient at hazard of developing osteomyelitis or osteitis. NMC Code of Conduct ( 2008 ) EPUAP definition ( 2007 ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.npuap.org/pr2.htm Nice definition hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG029publicinfo.pdf Versluysen M. Pressure sores in aged patients. The epidemiology related to hip operations. J Bone Joint Surg Br 1985 ; 67: 10-3. Versluysen M. How aged patients with femoral break develop force per unit area sores in infirmary. BMJ 1986 ; 292: 1311-3. Defloor T, Grypdonck MH. Siting position and bar of force per unit area ulcers. Appl Nurs Res 1999 ; 12: 136-42. Gunningberg L, Lindholm C, Carlsson M, Sjoden PO. The development of force per unit area ulcers in patients with hep breaks: unequal nursing certification is still a job. J Adv Nurs2000 ; 31:1155-64. Lindgren M, Unosson M, Krantz AM, Ek AC. Pressure ulcer hazard factors in patients undergoing surgery. J Adv Nurs 2005 ; 50: 605-12. Schoonhoven L, Defloor T, new wave der Tweel I, BuskensE, Grypdonck MH. Hazard indexs for force per unit area ulcers during surgery. Appl Nurs Res 2002 ; 15: 163-73. EPUAP hypertext transfer protocol: //www.epuap.org/guidelines/Final_Quick_Prevention.pdf ( 2009 ) Lindholm C, Sterner E, Romanelli M, Pina E, Torra y Bou J, Hietanen H, Iivanainen A, Gunningberg L, Hommel A, Klang B, Dealey C. Hip break and force per unit area ulcers – the Pan-European Pressure Ulcer Study – intrinsic and extrinsic hazard factors. Int Wound J 2008 ; 5:315-328. Scott EM, Leaper DJ, Clark M, Kelly PJ. Effectss ofwarming therapy on force per unit area ulcers – a randomised test. AORN J 2001 ; 73:921-7,929-33, 936-28. Houwing R, Rozendaal M, Wouters-Wesseling W, Buskens E, Keller P, Haalboom J. Pressure ulcerrisk in hep break patients. Acta Orthop 2004 ; 75:390-3. Gunningberg L, Lindholm C, Carlsson M, Sjoden PO. Effect of visco-elastic froth mattresses on the development of force per unit area ulcers in patients with hep breaks. J Wound Care 2000 ; 9:455-60. Baumgarten M, Margolis D, Berlin JA, Strom BL, Garino J, Kagan SH, Kavesh W, Carson JL. Riskfactors for force per unit area ulcers among aged hip break patients. Wound Repair Regen 2003 ; 11:96-103. Horn SD, Bender SA, Ferguson ML, Smout RJ, Bergstrom N, Taler G, Cook AS, Sharkey SS, Voss AC. The National Pressure Ulcer Long-Term Care Study: force per unit area ulcer development in long-run attention occupants. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004 ; 52:359-67.

Advantage and Disadvantage of Technology: a Mind-Blowing Development Essay

The schools we described above, one in Oklahoma and two in Ohio, are unknown to most Americans. And as innovations, they barely make a ripple in the vast sea that is the nation’s public school system. But they are harbingers of things to come. Like so many other novelties that surround us these days, from iPods to YouTube to Wikipedia, they are expressions of a profound social force—the revolution in information technology—that while still in process, is fast generating one of the most important transformations in all of human history. Because we are all enmeshed in this revolution every day, most of us are naturally inclined to take it for granted as a normal part of our lives, and to have a difficult time appreciating the enormity of its longer-term implications. But the fact is, it is radically changing our world. The information revolution has globalized the international economy, made communication and social networking—among anyone, anywhere—virtually instantaneous and costless, put vast storehouses of information and research within reach of everyone on the planet, dramatically boosted the prospects of cooperation and collective action, internationalized the cultures of previously insulated nations, and in countless other ways transformed the fundamentals of human society. The new schools in Oklahoma and Ohio are an integral part of all this. They are among the first stirrings of a revolution in how children can learn and be educated. The possibilities are exciting—and astounding. Even today, with educational technology in its earliest stages: Curricula can be customized to meet the learning styles and life situations of individual students, giving them productive alternatives to the boring standardization of traditional schooling. Education can be freed from geographic constraint: students and teachers do not have to meet in a building within a school within a district, but can be anywhere, doing their work at any time. Students can have more interaction with their teachers and with one another, including teachers and students who may be thousands of miles away or from different nations or cultures. Parents can readily be included in the communications loop and involved more actively in the education of their kids. Teachers can be freed from their tradition-bound classroom roles, employed in more differentiated and productive ways, and offered new career paths. Sophisticated data systems can put the spotlight on performance, make progress (or the lack of it) transparent to all concerned, and sharpen accountability. Schools can be operated at lower cost, relying more on technology (which is relatively cheap) and less on labor (which is relatively expensive). These advantages only begin to describe the educational promise of technology, and it is guaranteed to continue generating innovations at a breathtaking pace in the years ahead. The great power of technology is that no one really knows what it will produce or make possible in the future. Who would have thought, not so long ago, that such a thing as the Internet could even exist? Or that any child could use a laptop computer to gain access to massive compendiums of information on virtually any topic of interest? These are mind-blowing developments. Although the advance of educational technology is still in its early stages, there can be little doubt that the information revolution has the capacity to revolutionize education. It could hardly be otherwise. Information and knowledge are absolutely fundamental to what education is all about—to what it means, in fact, for people to become educated—and it would be impossible for the information revolution to unfold and not have transformative implications for how children can be educated and how schools and teachers can more productively do their jobs. But to say that technology is hugely beneficial and that it has the capacity to revolutionize American education does not mean that this revolution is actually going to happen.