Edward Elgar †Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op. 61, No.1 Essay

Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61 is one of the most well-known concerto works which composited by Edward Elgar. Elgar first composited this masterpiece and dedicated to Fritz Kreisler, a famous violinist and composer of early 20th century. On the 10 November 1910, Kreisler played this violin concerto as the first violin player on the premiere with Elgar conducted the concert. This concerto brought Elgar to another but last peak of his composition career. Also, this is one of his most popular and representative works. Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61 is a piece that Elgar had put tons of his own emotions and personal feelings into the melodies. In the article, â€Å"Charles Sanford Terry and Elgar’s Violin Concerto† which introduced by Alison I. Shiel in â€Å"Edward Elgar and His World†, Shiel mentioned, â€Å"Scholars have subjected the concerto itself to detailed analysis, much of it in terms of the gender of it various themes, the implication being that the melodies are meant to represent some romantic entanglement of Elgar’s, past of present.† The first movement of the concerto is a beautiful sonata with few related themes which change in various ways. You can find out the tutti and soloist somehow at a point also presenting two different melodic ideas at the same time. The solo part perfectly expresses the love and the words in the â€Å"Windflower† poem. Beautiful violin positions shifting and the soft bowings complete the feelings of romantic relationship. This is no way for people to question love like this after listening to this masterpiece from Elgar, which presented his love to the one.

Islamic Civilization Essay Example

Islamic Civilization Essay Example Islamic Civilization Essay Islamic Civilization Essay Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: Islamic Civilization There exist different sources that deal with conquests occurring in the Arabic setting. One journal in particular serves to give a description of the maghazi campaigns of prophets and their companions. The article â€Å"The Historical Islam† by Piero Scaruffi gives a systematic survey of the various cities and countries of the former Islamic nation with al-Baladhuri being its inspiration. al-Baladhuri was an Arabic historian famous for his detailed accounts of the Arab empire formation. The major preoccupation characteristic defining this source comes through how a region or city was conquered. Upon reading this historical source, I found it relevant to forward the argument that this source is informative and comprehensive in its account on Islamic civilization. This source provides the means used to conquer cities, regions, and the strengths behind Arabic conquest success. Primarily, Baladhuri’s account on Arab conquests gives a detailed insight on the Islamic civiliza tion and the key implications behind conquests. Establishing Arab rule around 712 A.D was preceded by several efforts aimed at penetrating a number of regions. According to al-Baladhuri, the unifying Islam ideology, facilitated by the skillful employment of novel and traditional means of consolidation, ultimately resulted to the emergence of new states under Muhammad. These qualities enabled the Arabs of this period to exert dominance more effectively compared to tribal groups of the previous Arab isthmus. Instead of the previously existing fragmentation in the Arabia political system, where the various tribal groups competing among themselves for local dominance, the outcome was a relatively unified, centralized polity that managed to integrate a number of these tribes and eventually transforming them into functional parts of the entire system. In particular, this amalgamation of the Arabian ethnic groups into one Islamic state ultimately set the stage for preceding conquests. The state consolidation process that started with Muhammad continued unaltered throughput the entire Islamic conquest period. As under Muhammad, every Islamic tribal group becomes incorporated into the nation in the process of the conquest period. They were administered by a Quraysh agent who collected taxes due from the tribe as well as supervising it. Islamic tribes residing beyond the Arabian Peninsula became gradually subjected to the new state of Islamic civilization in the later conquest phase of the Fertile Crescent. In addition, they were also subjected to reducing taxes similar to their Arabian counterparts during the Muhammad careers. Similarly, the continued progress of tribal incorporation may be factually viewed as members of Islamic tribal groups being subjected to recruitment into Islamic armies and trained to fight on a number of fronts in the conquest period. Agents representing the tribes sent contingents from their respective groups. As they advanced forward, the assembled core forces were able to add more recruits as they crossed through various tribes’ territories and could contact their supporters who were strategically placed at the wells and the centers they passed through. The recruited troops were not a mere horde that wandered aimlessly headed for the Fertile Crescent. Instead, they were specially organized contingents of an effective army whose general movements and objectives were developed by the ruling elite. The Islamic conquests brought forward a weighty influence on the general world history course and the Near East. Apart from creating social and political conditions across its conquests, the Arab movement carried with it the Muslim faith to vast regions. This movement therefore represented the practical start point of the great civilization evolution of medieval Islam coupled with the end of the world of antiques. For a period, the Arab conquests ultimately influenced the political patterns that dominated the Near East; and that this was the basis of Arabia’s power, and implemented it effectively in dominating old political and cultural systems in Iran, Fertile Crescent, and Egypt. As the conquest period was ending, the struggle for dominance was imminent as an elite engaged in conflict regarding which tribe should gain supreme rule. According to al-Baladhuri, this issue had already plagued the First Civil War through a struggle between the Umayya and other Quraysh branches. With these kinds of conflicts, it implied that the ruling elite were successively reduced to limited leadership. It is fundamental to note the later year debates over who was appropriately fit to head the Islamic group of people emerged from a simple Arabian formulation. The arguments put forward maintained that groups with rivalry among the elite increasingly rested on genealogy considerations. On the other hand, groups that did not have affiliations to the elite and wished access to rule relied in proper Islam behavior and importance of virtuous as justifications for wielding power. In conclusion, Piero Scaruffi provides an informed analysis of the Islamic civilization and the issues that came along with the Arabic conquest. al-Baladhuri maintains that the unifying Islam ideology, facilitated by the skillful employment of novel and traditional means of consolidation, ultimately resulted to the emergence of new states under Muhammad. The integration of every Muslim tribe into the nation in the process of the conquest period was the main catalyst behind the rapid progress of the Arabic conquest. However, as it ended, conflicts were imminent as different Arabic tribes endeavored to acquire the elite status.

Summary of Report Card Essay Example

Summary of Report Card Essay Example Summary of Report Card Essay Summary of Report Card Essay State Report Card Assessment Name: Instructor: State Report Card Assessment Summary of Report Card The Arbor Hill Elementary School located in Albany uses report cards to evaluate the progress of students during their study period. The school is administered by a Board of Regents who uses this assessment tool in a significant way to improve the learning standards for all learners. The report cards offer a wealth of information to the parents on the condition of elementary school using the federal and state accountability systems, on learner progress, and other measures used to evaluate the performance in the district and school. Knowledge obtained from the Arbor Hill report card is varied, detailed and important in enriching the instruction process among students. There are three main sections of the Arbor Hill Elementary School Report Card. The first part of the report card contains information on the school. The school profile contained information on the rate of enrollment of students from pre kindergarten to grade 12. From the records, it was evident that there was a steady increase in the enrollment rate from 231 in 2008 to 363 in 2011. The average class size also increased significantly from 14 in 2008 to 21 in 2011. This first section also contained information on the demographic factors including students who were eligible to have free meals, student stability and other statistics. The attendance and suspension statistics revealed information on the number of children who attended classes and those who were penalized through suspensions. Apart from these aspects, the other subsections included teacher qualifications, staff counts and the teacher turnover rates. The second section of the report card handles the accountability issues in the school. In this section, the requirements for the school of testing proficiency in mathematics, English language and another indicator are outlined. The proficiency parameters included criterion for participation and performance. The last section outlines the academic performance of the school and included records from the 2010-2011 academic years. The performance was categorized according to the three subjects: mathematics, English language and science. This data was presented in the form of graphs and tables that analyzed all the grades in the school. This summary and analysis of the report cards displays the extent to which valuable information can be gleaned from children’s activities at the school. Student Development Program Introduction This intervention program document provides direction on the best approach to develop and revise any plans for student improvement such as Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). Although schools and districts in Albany may have different names for this plan document, this plan offers details that are necessary for improving subject performance among students in all schools. This document also offers instruments for formulating and reviewing the SPSA, including sections that assist in aligning the costs with the allocated funds awarded to Arbor Hill Elementary School and a yearly assessment form. Seven Recommended Steps for Developing the School Intervention Plan Apart from accomplishing the essential parts that appear in all school plans, the school intervention plan must satisfy the precise necessities of each definite program running in the school. The school intervention plan entails a constant formulation, execution, and observation cycle. The starting and completion date of the yearly planning cycle is a domestic decision. Nevertheless, every institution needs to implement an approved plan that will guide the operations within the school. The seven steps of this constant cycle are: Analyzing the student progress information The school intervention plan is based on analysis of data retrieved from students’ activities and other tests and evaluations such as the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) assessments and other federal assessments. Using this information from several grades, the LEA and SSC can retrieve numerous data on student weaknesses, individual contributions and teachers’ flaws. Measuring effectiveness of current academic strategies at Arbor Hill Elementary School The school needs to carry out a needs assessment that will determine the effectiveness of the current instructional program. The results of the needs assessment will be evaluated against state tools such as Academic Program Surveys that will establish whether the program is relevant or not. Establishment of key goals and improvement strategies The school should come up with realistic and achievable objectives and targets concerning the intervention program. These objectives should be in line with the LEA goals but still reflect the interests of the school. Defining the timelines, costs and funding procedure Each of the goals set by the school requires a similar action prescribed by the SSC and LEA. Apart from an action, each goal also requires to b allocated to an individual who will be responsible for its completion, the source of funding and the costs involved. Recommending the reading intervention plan to the board After all the relevant committees have assessed and reviewed the document, they present the document to the local governing board who conduct their own evaluation. This evaluation is important, as it will determine whether the document will be approved for implementation or it will be faulted. The board assesses the document for several elements including proper constitutions, legal validity and ascertaining whether all the necessary programs were included in the document. Planned Development in Student Performance The Arbor Hill Elementary School has assessed the educational performance of all learning groups and has taken in mind the efficiency of vital elements of the teaching program for students that failed to achieve the academic performance index benchmark and satisfactory annual progress growth goals. Consequently, the school has adopted several objectives, related measures, and expenditures to improve the educational performance of learners that failed to achieve the state standards. One of the goals for THE Local Education Authority (LEA) can be to ascertain that all students would attain proficiency in English language Arts by 2014. The goal for Arbor Hill Elementary School can be to improve the school’s proficiency average to 70% or more. These goals were set after analyzing data from the District ELA Benchmark Assessments. Improvements across the whole school in understanding comprehension were realized over a period of three years under the intervention program. However, accomplishments for the English students group in understanding comprehension has remained constantly dismal, particularly for learners at the CELDT transitional and premature advanced stages, based on analysis of CST results. The Arbor Hill Elementary School will evaluate the status of the objective on a monthly basis. More of this evaluation process will be elaborated in the strategy section. The strategy for the school to implement the plan to improve academic performance is to implement an institution-wide studying intervention program to tackle the academic needs of readers who are weak as categorized by district benchmark assessments. The literacy team members are responsible for determining weak readers and identifying, assessing and choosing an academic intervention programs that are developed for the individual literacy requirements of English learners and weak students and will include continuing evaluations of student development. The exact responsibilities of the literacy team are to gather and scrutinize summative and formative information on ELA issues at the school and district level. A minor function of the literacy team is to recognize learners from each grade who required reading interventions and their specific literacy requirements. The next step is the implementation and assessment of the intervention program. This part of the program will be administered by a joint effort consisting of the literacy team and the leadership team. While it is headed by a joint team, the two parties have separate roles in the implementation stage. The literacy team is charged with the responsibility of formulating reading intervention resources and materials. It is also charged with acquiring complementary instructional materials and standard evaluations. Consequently, the leadership team is responsible for developing intervention program targets, service models, and instruction and learning expectations and results. They are also responsible for analysis and evaluation of district standardized benchmark assessments and intervention programs. The assessment of the intervention program will be conducted on several stages. On a daily basis, the instructors should offer additional reading material and attention for students who are below average or intermediate. On a weekly basis, the teams in charge of all the grades will have collaborative meetings where they engage in analysis of the data collected from the intervention program and develop action plans using the outcomes from these analyses. The program being implemented will also be evaluated on a monthly basis. Finally, on an annual basis, the teams will evaluate the intervention program objectives and determine if they were being realized or if the whole program was a failure. Within the intervention plan, several programs that make the plan more effective are include. These programs are implemented at the state and federal level and are detailed in nature. Examples of these programs include peer assistance, economic aid, violence prevention and drug abuse. Evaluation Process The state has outlined the measures to be taken when handling planned activities and this includes evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention program on an annual basis. This evaluation program is important as it will release data on the program and pave the way for other subsequent programs. These state bodies include School Site Council (SSC) and the Local Education Agency (LEA) who offer investigation and review the services of the intervention program before making recommendations on its validity and continuity. Through this evaluation process, schools such as Arbor Hill Elementary School can determine the weak points within their program and strive to refine their system. Typically, the reports from these institutions may include the degree of achievement of goals and the comparison with state and national standards. However, both the LEA and SSC have to be careful in making conclusions from the evaluations they perform. They should consider all the relevant elements that can influence the success of the intervention plan such as the level of change in enrollment and the degree of implementation. The proper implementation of the reading intervention plan will benefit the students by increasing their level of understanding and ease the instructors’ burden in the classroom.

Why Racism in Health Care Is Still a Problem Today

Why Racism in Health Care Is Still a Problem Today Eugenics, segregated hospitals and the  Tuskegee Syphilis Study  exemplify how pervasive racism in health care once was. But even today, racial bias continues to be a factor in medicine.   While racial minorities are no longer unknowingly used as guinea pigs for medical research or denied entry into hospitals because of their skin color, studies have found that they don’t receive the same standard of care as their white counterparts. Lack of diversity training in health care and poor cross-cultural communication between doctors and patients are some of the reasons why medical racism persists. Unconscious Racial Biases Racism continues to affect health  care because many physicians remain unaware of their unconscious racial biases, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health in March 2012. The study found that a staggering two-thirds of doctors exhibited racial bias towards patients. The researchers determined this by asking doctors to complete the Implicit Association Test, a computerized assessment that calculates how fast test subjects associate people from different races with positive or negative terms. Those who link people of a certain race with positive terms more quickly are said to favor that race. The doctors who participated in the study were also asked to associate racial groups with terms that signal medical compliance. Researchers found that the doctors exhibited a moderate anti-black bias and thought of their white patients as more likely to be â€Å"compliant.† Forty-eight percent of the health professionals were white, 22 percent were black and 30 percent were Asian. The non-black health care professionals exhibited more pro-white bias, while black health care professionals did not exhibit bias in favor or against any group. The outcome of the study was especially surprising, given that the doctors who participated served in inner city Baltimore and were interested in serving underprivileged communities, according to lead author, Dr. Lisa Cooper of the John Hopkins University School of Medicine. Beforehand, the physicians failed to recognize that they preferred white patients to black ones. â€Å"It’s hard to change subconscious attitudes, but we can change how we behave once we are made aware of them,† Cooper says. â€Å"Researchers, educators and health professionals need to work together on ways to reduce the negative influences of these attitudes on behaviors in health care.† Poor Communication Racial biases in health care also influence the way doctors communicate with their patients of color. Cooper says that doctors with racial biases tend to lecture black patients, speak more slowly to them and make their office visits longer. Doctors who behaved in such ways typically made patients feel less informed about their health care. Researchers determined this because the study also included an analysis of recordings of visits between 40 health care professionals and 269 patients from January 2002 to August 2006. Patients filled out a survey about their medical visits after meeting with doctors. Poor communication between doctors and patients can result in patients canceling follow up visits because they feel less trust in their physicians. Doctors who dominate conversations with patients also run the risk of making patients feel as if they don’t care about their emotional and mental needs. Fewer Treatment Options Bias in medicine may also lead physicians to inadequately manage the pain of minority patients. A number of studies have shown that doctors are reluctant to give black patients strong doses of pain medication. A University of Washington study released in 2012 found that pediatricians who exhibited a pro-white bias were more inclined to give black patients who’d undergone surgical procedures ibuprofen instead of the more potent drug oxycodone. Additional studies found that physicians were less likely to monitor the pain of black children with sickle cell anemia or to give black men visiting emergency rooms with chest pain complaints diagnostic tests such as cardiac monitoring and chest X-rays. A 2010 University of Michigan Health study even found that black patients referred to pain clinics received roughly half the amount of drugs that white patients received. Collectively, these studies indicate that racial bias in medicine continues to affect the quality of care minority patients obtain. Lack of Diversity Training Medical racism won’t disappear unless doctors receive the training necessary to treat a wide range of patients. In his book, Black Blue: The Origins and Consequences of Medical Racism, Dr. John M. Hoberman, chair of Germanic studies at the University of Texas at Austin, says that racial bias persists in medicine because medical schools don’t teach students about the history of medical racism or give them appropriate diversity training. Hoberman told the Murietta Daily Journal that medical schools must develop race relations programs if medical racism is to cease. Such training is vital because doctors, as studies reveal, aren’t immune to racism. But it’s unlikely that physicians will confront their biases if medical schools and institutions don’t require them to do so.

Racial Segregation based on Black Boy by Richard Wright Essay

Racial Segregation based on Black Boy by Richard Wright - Essay Example d the Jim Crow laws and the rise of Klu Klux Klan, a white racist group that lynched, kidnapped, beat, or even murdered blacks to prove their supremacy. On the other side African American culture, its literature and arts flourished giving rise to the Harlem Renaissance. Richard Wright fought hard to resist segregation and refused to be forced into subservience as most of the blacks of that period did. As we read about his childhood one can visualise the sufferings and humiliation the African Americans had to endure in the early 1990s. In his book Wright portrays all the violence, brutality, despair and powerlessness that goes with racism. The whites abused him physically and verbally. In the book there is mention of how when he was young he had to suffer regular physical and verbal abuse in his workplace and how his white colleagues even went to the extent of hitting him with a bottle for not addressing a white man as "sir". â€Å"for the first time I noticed that there were two lines of people at the ticket window, a â€Å"white† line and a â€Å"black† line. During my visit at Granny’s a sense of the two races had been born in me with sharp concreteness that would never die until I died." (Wright R, 1945) These lines from Black Boy show that Wright understood what it was to be a black boy right from his childhood days. The fear, the violence the blacks faced everyday is beautifully put forth in the book. Both the blacks and whites resorted to violence whenever they wanted to control or show their power and this show of violence was predominant in the lives of Southerners. Richard turns violent many times like when he rebels against his father and kills the kitten in a fit of rage. Similarly when he burns down the house he gets thoroughly beaten. He overcomes his fear of the gang of boys by attacking them. Racial segregation or racial prejudices also instilled fear and mistrust in the society. This is evident in many of the episodes of the Black Boy. Richard

Tim Hortons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tim Hortons - Research Paper Example From the research it can be comprehended that Tim Hortons’ brand portfolio, which consists of premium range of coffee, cold drinks, and sandwiches are valuable resources of the company. These resources enhance the overall competitive strength of the company Tim Hortons is presently the largest casual food restaurant chain in Canada. This has given a global recognition to the restaurant chain. Apart from their primary operations, the company also sells Christmas hampers, coffee packets, and coffee machines through its online website and grocery stores. The brand’s strong presence across various geographic areas in Canada has helped to increase the domestic growth as well as the international demand. The strength of Hortons’ brand portfolio is rare. The company is known for providing the finest quality of Arabian coffee which is rare and unaffordable by most of its counterparts. The brand differentiates itself by giving a greater emphasis on healthier and tradition al home cooked foods rather than giving emphasis on burgers and other fast food products. The brand has created an opportunity for their customers that is inimitable to a competitor. The business competes in a sector which is highly competitive and falls into a quick service restaurant segment. As the brand produces low cost fast food, it competes with big fast food chains such as McDonalds and Subway. The products from the fast food retail chain are priced lower than competitors’ brands. ... Apart from their primary operations, the company also sells Christmas hampers, coffee packets, and coffee machines through its online website and grocery stores. The brand’s strong presence across various geographic areas in Canada has helped to increase the domestic growth as well as the international demand. The strength of Hortons’ brand portfolio is rare. The company is known for providing the finest quality of Arabian coffee which is rare and unaffordable by most of its counterparts. The brand differentiates itself by giving a greater emphasis on healthier and traditional home cooked foods rather than giving emphasis on burgers and other fast food products. The brand has created an opportunity for their customers that is inimitable to a competitor. The business competes in a sector which is highly competitive and falls into a quick service restaurant segment. As the brand produces low cost fast food, it competes with big fast food chains such as McDonalds and Subwa y. The products from the fast food retail chain are priced lower than competitors’ brands. The culture and offerings provided by the fast food brand has given a fulfilling experience to its customers. These services communicate their continuous brand images and committed values. The organization disperses the value of its brand by creating an extraordinary experience, committing passion, aligning corporate responsibility, continuous innovation of products and services, and creating inspiration. The company also strives to provide the highest customer service by utilizing its efficient human resources. As an emerging corporation, the company is seeking opportunities in emerging markets and is currently ready to expand its markets into international boundaries. This

Internet Resource Guide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Internet Resource Guide - Essay Example Particularly it this guide is designed to facilitate all the students of Pennsylvania state university in the field of petrochemicals. This guide provides benefits to both beginners and specialization students or professional students. Beginners usually find the basic and easy information or the overview of the topic, for this reason this guide provides an easy links in the table of content to get their destination easily. On the other hand, the specialization or professional students mostly look for the detailed information so this guide gives them the required information with authentic or reliable references quickly and eliminate the wastage of time which is required to search the authentic notes of the required topic. It is also helpful for the professionals of petrochemical industry because it has got the topics regarding the ideas of advancement and innovation in the field and work of petrochemical engineers. In all that this guide is beneficial for all the researchers and read ers of petrochemical field. CONTENTS OF GUIDE: The material of this guide speaks about to the study of the resources of oil and gas and its importance. The resources have been included in this guide with a specific objective of assisting to the researchers or readers of energy resources, and in specifically speaking it is for the professionals and students of petrochemical field in the Pennsylvania state university. Petrochemical students require a diversified knowledge because of their diversified field so this requirement increased the significance of the proper and reliable internet sources that are available for energy resources information. Some resources in the guide are developed to be very useful when creating projects or writing papers for the undergraduate petrochemical engineering students, while other resources are useful for those readers who want to obtain a job in the field of energy resources. Information provided or used for this guide is from both library and the i nternet. However, the more convenient option is the internet resource because it gives the ability to use it comfortably from anywhere. All the sources that have been used in the guide are credible, academic publications or authentic websites. So the readers do not require verifying it from other sources. This has made easy for the readers to conduct the appropriate information from the guide and increase their work efficiency. AUDIENCE: The projected audience for this guide consists of students concerned in the oil and gas resources majors at the Pennsylvania State University. This guide is generally designed for those students who have applied for the specialization courses of petrochemical engineering and having the goal of building up their career in the field of petrochemicals (Ashkeboussi). The basic level students can also be benefited with this guide; it also provides the basic concepts of the petrochemical study. They may also be concerned in the research behind the petroch emical course of action that are presently in place or some of the more complex information behind the petrochemicals and its significance (Ashkeboussi). These basic concepts will be helpful for the students when they would going to choose petrochemical study as a specialization courses. This guide has a wide variety of information. The