Monroe Doctorine essays

Monroe Doctorine essays 135 Isolationism is a policy or doctrine in which peace and economic advancement can best be achieved by detaching ones country from alliances and commitments with other countries. In actuality this means, it is the mindset and policy to keep your country away from other countries and their affairs. George Washington originally started this policy, which became a trend when he sternly stated that no permanent alliances be made during his term as president. In 1823 President James Monroe created the Monroe Doctrine, although the thinking was done much by John Q. Adams. In this doctrine, Monroe warned the European countries of the damage colonization and intervention can do to foreign affairs. Based on the pretenses outlined in the Monroe Doctrine, it is believed that this was isolationist doctrine. Monroe advised the European countries to steer clear of foreign intervention in his doctrine. Monroe had sympathy for the South American countries that were being taken over mostly by the Spanish, even though his concern was mainly for Foreign intervention in the Doctrine stated that Europe keep their monarchical and imperial type governments out of the Western Hemisphere. As for America, the United States was prohibited from getting involved with their wars or affairs, unless we were directly connected. These ideas definitely follow the definition of isolationism. Monroe was trying to get rid of all European authority in the Western Hemisphere and agreed to stay out of their affairs. This meant that the United States was only going to deal with our own country and not even have alliances. His main reason for this was to save America from war, therefore, for the good of peace. They detached themselves from the Eastern Hemisphere completely, in part to keep the peace. President Monroes doctrine, was whole-heartedly a isolationist policy. Monroe wanted to destroy all the Eu ...

How to Monotask Your Way to Writing Productivity

How to Monotask Your Way to Writing Productivity How to Monotask Your Way to Writing Productivity Jane Harkness is a freelance writer for Freedom. Freedom blocks distracting websites and apps across your devices so you can focus on what matters most.It’s easy to assume that multitasking will allow you to do double the work in half the time - after all, if you’re doing two things at once, your productivity must skyrocket, right?Not quite. Unfortunately, while we may feel that our productivity increases when we multitask, practical results and countless studies tell us otherwise.When you multitask, you’re not working on two tasks at the same time - you’re actually rapidly switching between tasks without giving your brain the time it really needs to completely focus on each one. Bouncing from one task to another and back again results in â€Å"attention residue,† clouding your concentration. Learn how to monotask your way to writing productivity âÅ"… Multitasking: a habit to breakIn our age of digital distractions, it’s tough to avoid multitasking, and many of us have made it a habit. Pausing your writing session to check your email, looking at a text in the middle of a paragraph, or talking on the phone with a freelance client while researching a separate project all qualify as multitasking.But because these tasks seem so basic and unavoidable, we rarely stop to consider that this could be having an impact on the quality of our work or our productivity.Multitasking and switching between screens can make you feel more productive in the moment, but in the long run, it’s eating up time that you could  be spending on your hobbies, creative projects, or relaxing with family and friends.If you want to step up your performance and reclaim your time to have more opportunities to do what you love, it’s time to say goodbye to multitasking and get familiar with the concept of â€Å"deep work† and the practice of monotasking.Have you ever tried monotasking? If not, will you try it now? Tell us in the comments below.

Business Process Management (Course work) Essay

Business Process Management (Course work) - Essay Example Review the recommendations made in the reports toward changes The report for the investigation commission had made numerous recommendations, which would help the NHS trust develop better strategies, which would drive performance management in a positive direction. First, the commission’s board suggested that the trust had the obligation of implementing better strategies that would help oversee quality management standards as well as security in the health care sector. Training for staff also was among the first agendas, bearing in mind that failure in the two hospitals had been attributed to untrained staff working for patients. It did not also forget to address on the issue of staff numbers and the capacity of those that are employed. The trust’s board had to develop criteria for all staff employment (Care quality commission report, 2010). On the other hand, it was deemed crucial that the trust develop appropriate CRM strategies that would provide room for hospitals an d other stakeholders to be keen on complaints by patients. Responsibility for the poor standards of care provided by the hospital The poor performance at the hospital was attributed employment of the untrained employees, inadequate government policies that were blindly followed by employees as well as lack of accountability by employees. I attribute the poor performance to the hospital management majorly, due to poor performance management systems. It is evident that deaths occurred rampantly, complaints were adversely brought by clients, but they could not consider any situation. More over, having realized that the Mid-Staffordshire NHS was not having appropriate operations management, they had a chance to replace it with another, which could provide better services. On the hand, the trust was adversely wrong, in not being considerate about the type of workers they employ within hospitals. How can untrained nurses and junior doctors be left to handle the patients alone? This was a critical condition that needed a quick address (Jeston and Nelis, 2006). Management’s key performance indicators (KPI’s) Performance indicators are said to have been so profound by the CEO, and were displeasing to all patients and the community around. First, presence of untrained staff working for patients in the hospital was quite amazing. Secondly, the situation was marked by unlistened to numerous complaints from the patients who addressed on poor treatment. More over, numerous massive deaths were experienced in the hospital in a day, which are attributed to poor handling of patients. Switching off the heart monitors was a fatal case, since this hindered the emergency patients from receiving the required treatment and ended up dying. The present staffs were also few in numbers, which meant that they were overburdened with work, a factor that exposed them to poor performance. Organisation of performance measurements The management should have effectively organized t heir performance measu

Topics in Information Technology Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Topics in Information Technology Ethics - Essay Example Of course, security reasons are not the only purposes for Internet surveillance; corporations also use surveillance for marketing purposes. Paul Mobbs, in the article â€Å"How and when organisations and the state can monitor your actions,† discusses the â€Å"potential threats to civil liberties posed by the use of electronic networks for the purposes of surveillance, by the state and private companies, and the potential damage of these for civil society in the long term.† Karen McCullagh, in response to the growing security concerns after 9/11, also states that the modern use if the Internet has provided companies ad states with opportunities of surveillance that were not open to them previously. As she sees it, privacy and security are interconnected issues: â€Å"It is submitted that privacy and security are necessarily interrelated and interdependent. Therefore neither principle should ever be applied to the exclusion of the other, as they are both essential tenet s of a liberal democratic society.† These are difficult issues, and there are no easy answers to them. It is necessary, though, for people to be aware of the extent to which they are or can be monitored. Security is a necessity, but no will could argue that civil liberties are not also a necessity. Mobbs splits surveillance into two different categories, indirect and directed. Under indirect surveillance, the practices of dataveillance and data profiling are the two most commonly used. These practices are used typically for the purposes of marketing, political lobbying, police investigations, and the protection of intellectual property. As most users of the Internet do not understand the technology behind the Internet, these users are particularly susceptible to invasions of privacy. This is not to say that people are not aware that their privacy has been violated, though it does mean that people might attempt to protect their privacy by means which could be

Ipremier and Denial of Service Attack †Case Study Essay Example for Free

Ipremier and Denial of Service Attack – Case Study Essay In a recent Information Management lecture we went through the case of iPremier (read the full case) which is a popular case study from Harvard Business School. It was a made up case but the recent high profile hacking stories (such as Gawker) show that companies are not taking security seriously. The background is that iPremier suffered a DOS attack in the middle of the night which caused chaos in the company. After an hour the attack stopped and the company went back to business as normal. Two weeks later another DOS attack was spawned from the company’s server directed at a competitor which proved that their server had been compromised. The FBI became involved, the competitor threatened to sue and the city analysts were thinking of downgrading the stock. Our role was to come up with recommendations as to how the processes and plans could be improved for the future. Keeping in mind that the security is about more than just technology we needed to brainstorm around people and processes as well. 1. People and processes Develop a business continuity plan (test it end to end including suppliers and keep it updated) Develop an IT governance framework that includes security in its remit Develop clear reporting lines Better training for emergencies Trust your technical leaders and make sure they have the resources to lead in a crisis Make security part of strategy Hire an independent audit team who report into the board Hire a security and risk expert Develop a better relationship with your hosting provider 2. Technology Avoid single points of failure. Separate the server stack so that database, web and file servers are not on the same network Use a reputable hosting provider with a world class infrastructure and support Make sure all your software is up to date Use a combination of hardware and or software firewalls Backup and redundancy planning and testing Active monitoring Strong one-way encryption of passwords Use open auth systems such as Facebook connect

To What Extent Does Salinger Make You Sympathize With Holden Caulfield

To What Extent Does Salinger Make You Sympathize With Holden Caulfield The Catcher In The Rye By J.D.Salinger J.D Salinger has made the main character and narrator, Holden Caulfield, very complex. He has many good qualities that help the reader to sympathize with him. However throughout the novel the reader comes to realize that Holden’s behaviour around other characters often contradicts the opinions he has expressed to t he reader. This makes us see that, at times, Holden is no better than the characters he dislikes. It makes him seem â€Å"phoney.† However his use of colloquial language helps the reader to realize that Holden is still quite young and has a childish and immature view of life. You can see how immature he is because even though he is sixteen he still made a snowball and tried to get on a bus without realizing that the bus driver would make him throw it out. â€Å"The snow was very good for packing. I didn’t throw it at anything,† Holden then complains, â€Å"But he wouldn’t believe me. People never believe you.† This is a very childish thing to say, if he doesn’t get his own way then Holden believes that it’s the other person’s fault. He never considers that the bus driver is just doing his job or that eventually the snowball would melt on the bus creating more work for the bus driver who would probably have to clean it up. He instead immediately assumes that everyone is biased against him instead of maturely just accepting that you have to follow the rules and you can’t just create your own. Holden is disillusioned and sees everyone as being cynical and believes that everything is either black or white; Holden Caulfield sees childhood as being ideal and he thinks adulthood is filled with corrupt p... ...the windows on the station wagon.† Stradlater seems to make these repressed emotions resurface by insulting Holden through his lack of respect for Jane and the hard work Holden had just put into writing that essay for him. I think that Salinger is mainly successful in his attempt to make the reader sympathize with Holden. Although at the beginning of the book Holden appears to be fake and uncaring towards several of the other characters, as the book progresses the reader is shown how he has been through the tragic loss of his brother and suppresses any emotions he had about him, and how Holden really wants to fit in with the â€Å"Adult world† even if some of the things he is doing he disagrees with. Holden is just a normal person with flaws like anyone else, the difference is that Holden can admit his faults and doesn’t judge others immediately by theirs.

Jazz Concert Report Essay

The UF Jazz Band Concert was an energetic, exciting and very entertaining. The University Auditorium provided a great atmosphere and vibe for the concert. From the start of the concert, it was very obvious how passionate all of the musicians and the director were about their performances. The band consists of five saxophone players, four trumpet players, five trombone players, and a rhythm section with guitar, piano, drums, and bass players. On saxophone were John Milado, Dustin Ferguson, Ben Greer, Monica Bello and Gregory Snider. On the trumpets were Sean Bokinsky, Mark Kindy, Anthony Bobo and Bobby Polidan. Playing the trombones were Kevin Hicks, Nick Arnheim, Brandon Allen, Adren Hance, Corbin Robeck and Mark Doerffel. In the rhythm section, Harrison Barron played guitar. Lincoln Antonio, Mitchell Morlock and Jason Bontrager played piano. Benny Cannon, Ethan Harman and Jonathon Foster played drums. Keegan Musser and Nate Garland played bass. The show wasn’t just the jazz band performing, the University of Florida Jazz Choir also performed two songs during the jazz band break. Jean Hickman directed the choir, which consisted of eight singers. The jazz concert started off with Lincoln Antonio playing a piano solo. It was a great way to get the audience in the mood for a jazz music. The piano solo was beautifully soothing and played so well. Lincoln Antonio did not play the piano for the entire duration of the concert, as he switched in and out with two other piano players, Mitchell Morlock and Jason Bontrager. The first song that the jazz band performed together was â€Å"Needing You†. Scott Wilson, the director, composed this song himself. The song tells about his journey to his wife and what they have been through together. He explained that he worked back and forth in another country, so their relationship wasn’t the easiest path to follow. The song itself was a beautiful piece that had soft parts, as well as fast paced parts. This song featured Kevin Hicks on the trombone. The second song performed by the jazz band was â€Å"Slow Heat† by Neil Slater. In this song, Ben Greer had an amazing saxophone solo. The song really lives up to its name, as it starts out very somber and slow. This song was very intimate and was probably one of my favorites performed throughout the concert. I liked how the song begins, and then the saxophone takes over and leads throughout the song. â€Å"Just Friends† by Rob McConnell was performed next. This song was an upbeat song with lots of trumpet playing in the middle of the song. The piano and drums carried the song throughout. â€Å"Softly as in a Morning Sunrise† by Sigmund Romberg was a very enjoyable song was a nice song to follow up â€Å"Just Friends†. It was a smooth jazz song. â€Å"Without a Song† by Youmans was an upbeat, somber song. It incorporated a nice even tone among all of the instruments. The soft humming of the saxophone sounded very nice with this piece. The beat of the piano carried the song and made it a very cheerful song. The UF Jazz Choir performed â€Å"The Look of Love† by Zegree and â€Å"It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing† by Edenroth. â€Å"It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing† had a lot of scatting in it and was really fast paced. The jazz choir did a great job of using each other to compile a nice tone throughout both songs. The first song was performed completely a cappella and the second song was accompanied by a little piano in the background. After the choir performed, the jazz band played â€Å"Magic Flea† by Sammy Nestico and â€Å"Sing Sing Sing† by Louis Prima. Magic Flea† started out at a really fast pace with all of the instruments being played at once. The show ended with â€Å"Sing Sing Sing†, which is a great jazz classic. This grabbed the audience and really pulled them in for the end of the show. The jazz band members were all so incredibly into their music and instruments as th ey played. The passion they exuberated was phenomenal. As a college jazz band, they seemed at a much higher level than what most would think. Overall, it was an excellent experience and I was so happy to be apart of it.

Communication Skills

Communication is a valuable art and an individual's effectiveness as a leader, co-worker or friend will depend on their interpersonal and communication skills. Without a doubt, communication skills are not a simple formula; however, it is not impossible for people to communicate effectively and respectfully. A person can stand in a corner without saying one word; yet, with one simple kick or facial expression, they can communicate. A key to having an effective communication skill is by having good listening skills.The four stages of the listening process are simple to remember, (1) attending, (2) interpreting, (3) responding, and (4) remembering. (Dobbin and Pace, peg. 1 17) The listening process begins when e actively select, or attend to, stimuli in our environment. (Dobbin and pace, peg. 11 7) Many things can affect the way one can perceive his/her communication skills to others. A person must have a clear and pleasant tone in his/her voice in order to appeal to the listeners. Hav ing good listening skills makes the speaker feel admirable, appreciated and respected.When a person listens, they encourage the skill in others by acting as a model for positive and effective communication. In order to develop effective listening skills one should: 1. Minimize all external and internal distractions 2. Focus on what the speaker is saying . Keep an open mind in order not to make assumptions According to the Washington Times: â€Å"More often than one might think, listening has to happen before speaking can begin. This is especially true for babies. During their first few months, they hear the sounds around them.Over time, they learn to distinguish these sounds as part of figuring out who and what are worth dealing with in their immediate environment. A baby's effort to learn the difference between hearing and listening requires a rudimentary form of reasoning or thinking. Most babies discover they have to listen a lot before they can start talking. † (Washingto n's. Mom) Babies will then learn that by listening then responding, they will get a chance to speak. By developing good listening skills we learn to understand and obtain information.Some children are naturally attentive while others may need to focus on their skills. As a parent, we can help children to be better listeners by engaging into conversations with them or by playing games that my help them become better listeners. Effective listening skills are essential in many areas of life; such as, school, friendship and a career. It is vital to begin developing good listening skills during childhood so that a person can make a unconscious effort in engaging into a productive conversation. Listening effectively is an acquired skill. Communication Skills Communication Skills ï » ¿Communication Skills Aims This resource has been compiled to give a general introduction to effective communication for practice educators. The key components of the communication process will be discussed. The basic skills required for effective communication will be explored in the next few sections, and some specific contexts for communication, including giving presentations and feedback meetings, will be examined.Learning Objectives On completion of this resource, you should be able to: †¢ Identify the key components of the communication process. †¢ Identify some typical problems that can arise in the communication process and demonstrate knowledge of skills to overcome these. †¢ Demonstrate increased awareness of forms of communication and social behaviour. †¢ Identify and use strategies for managing specific contexts for communication, including giving presentations.Introduction As we progress through our careers in the health or social care environment, the sorts of skills that are critical to our success can change and evolve. Many of us are first responsible for performing specific practical tasks, linked to our developing knowledge base. Our effectiveness centres upon our actions and our growing expertise at performing these. Proficiency at such tasks is often the initial focus.However, as we continue to progress, it is likely that success will depend more and more upon our interpersonal skills and our ability to develop effective working relationships with key others. Jobs that include a managerial, supervisory or a mentoring role can involve complex relationships with people. Demands can be made that are sometimes conflicting and ambiguous. A practice educator’s job can involve reconciling and managing these demands. Not surprisingly, interpersonal and communication skills often rank among the most critical for work related success.In its most straightforward sense, effective communication may be  understood as occurring when the intended me aning of the sender and perceived meaning of the receiver are the same. Yet the level of skill required for effective communication to occur, belies the simplicity of this definition. After examining studies involving hundreds of large organisations, Goleman (1997) concluded that a high level of individual success at work was characterised by ‘emotional intelligence’, or skills of social awareness and communication. Typically, these included the ability to motivate and influence others, to give honest feedback sensitively, to empathise and develop relationships, to monitor ones own behaviour, to handle emotions both of self and others and to read interpersonal situations and organisational politics.However it is important to note that emotional intelligence, or the skills of social awareness and communication, can be developed and honed. This resource aims to give a basic introduction to the area of effective communication and will seek to increase your awareness of for ms of communication, communication skills and social or interpersonal behaviour therein. Communication (from Latin commÃ… «nicÄ re, meaning â€Å"to share†) is the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behavior. It is the meaningful exchange of information between two or more living creatures.One definition of communication is â€Å"any act by which one person gives to or receives from person information about that person's needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes.†Communication requires a sender, a message, and a recipient, although the receiver doesn't have to be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communi cation can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver understands the sender's message. Communicating with others involves three primary steps:Thought: First, information exists in the mind of the sender. This can be a concept, idea, information, or feelings. Encoding: Next, a message is sent to a receiver in words or other symbols. Decoding: Lastly, the receiver translates the words or symbols into a concept or information that a person can understand. There are a variety of verbal and non-verbal forms of communication. These include body language, eye contact, sign language, haptic communication,and chronemics. Other examples are media content such as pictures, graphics, sound, and writing.The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also defines the communication to include the display of text, Braille, tactile communication, large print, accessible multimedia, as well as written and plain language, human-reader, augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication, including accessible information and communication technology. Feedback is a critical component of effective communication.Communication Process The A first step in unravelling the complexity of interpersonal communication is to understand the basic process by which communication occurs. Only then can we identify where possible problems can arise and explore skills for enhancing communication and managing such breakdowns. Human beings are not passive, predictable objects who always interpret meanings and react as they are ‘supposed to’. Neither is communication a passive, predictable, one way event.Rather, communication can be viewed as an active process, influenced by all the complexities and ambiguities of human behaviour. It is also fraught with potential points of breakdown. As Clampitt notes, ‘We actively construct meanings within a unique vortex that includes the words used, the context of the utterances, and the people involved.’(2005, p.8)A more accurate way of looking at the process of communication is probably as a dynamic, circuitous process in which elements such as non-verbal behaviour and individual styles of interpreting and ascribing meaning to events have significant influence. Strategies such as constructing a clear, unambiguous message can encourage effective communication, but sotoo can seeking to understand meanings imposed by the listener via processes such as actively listening to feedback. 1. Sending The Message:Person 1 constructs and sends a message. Messages are the signals and symbols that we use to convey what we want to transmit. They can occur in various ways, including visual (non-verbal, written), auditory (verbal and sub-vocal speech), tactile (touch, bodily contact) and olfactory(perfumes, aftershaves) formats. In order to send the message, it must be encoded intowords, as well as tone, inflection, facial expression, and other non-verbal language.While skills such as clear thinking, concise expression of plain english, logical association of ideas and organised speech are important, especially to specific contexts such as giving presentations they do not ensure that effective communication will take place. The meaning of the message is not contained solely in the words, as factors such as non-verbal cues, the context and the people involved will heavily influence meaning. It is important to note that unintended as well as intended meanings may be communicated via non-verbal leakage.2.The Channel In Clampitt’s (2005) model, this refers to the means used to deliver messages and the related formats. Means used to communicate can include face to face, telephone, pager, written, radio and video communication. In face to face communication, which is most often preferred for communication of more importan t matters, communication occurs through visual, auditory and olfactory formats, while the tactile medium may or may not be used. Skilled communicators will choose the channel most appropriate to the specific goals sought at that time.3. Receiving the MessageFor effective communication to take place, the message must be accurately decoded and reconstructed by person2, from the signals received from person 1. However, even if the â€Å"encoding† is carried out very well; this in itself does not ensure that it will be â€Å"decoded† accurately. The meaning ascribed to the message may vary according to the person doing the interpreting, the context in which the message was given and the total information communicated.4. FeedbackPerson 2 responds to person 1, and this message is received by person 1 as feedback. Again, feedback comprises both the verbal and non-verbal messages  of others, and allows us to evaluate how the message has been understood and the response to it . Actively listening to feedback is a key skill in effective communication. We can also get feedback from our own responses through a process known as ‘self-monitoring’ (Hargie et al 2004).Self-monitoring involves staying aware of what we are saying and doing in social encounters and how this is impacting on others. This type of feedback can then be used to alter or adapt our behaviour in the light of the responses from others.People who are skilled communicators are high self-monitors, who continuously analyse and regulate their own behaviour according to the way in which the other person is responding. With feedback as with other forms of message, the information received must be interpreted by us. Therefore, the message is susceptible to the same possible misinterpretations and will be influenced by factors such as context and people involved.Meaning is not an inherent quality of the message, but is perceived or constructed in the mind of the recipient. In the above exercise, a message that would seem to have been intended by the practice educator as being genuinely positive was misinterpreted as negative by the student in the second situation. The important part of this communication at this point, is how the practice educator listens to this feedback, the meaning that s/he ascribes to it, and how it is subsequently responded to.5. ContextA significant point to note is that communication never occurs in a vacuum. Communication is inextricably linked to the particular context in which it occurs, which in turn has a major impact upon behaviour. 6. NoiseThe term ‘noise’ describes anything that can interfere with or distort the meaning of a message. Dickson (1999) has identified a number of such barriers or common sources of noise, which can affect communication accuracy and effectiveness. †¢ Psychological:These include the perceptual biases or stereotypes that can impact on how we interpret a particular person’s message. People respond to stimuli in the environment in very different ways. We each have shortcuts that we use to organize data. Invariably, these shortcuts introduce some biases into  communication. Stereotyping is an example of such a shortcut.†¢ Semantic:This is used to describe situations where language or cultural differences distort or interfere with the meaning of the message. Effective communication requires deciphering and understanding the basic values, motives, and assumptions of the other person. Given that dramatic differences exist across cultures in terms of approaches to time, space, and privacy; the opportunities for misinterpretation when we are in cross-cultural situations are plentiful.†¢ Environmental:This refers to a range of factors such as size of room, layout of furniture, intrusive noise, heating and lighting etc. Each of these can either encourage or inhibit interaction.†¢ Demographic: Factors such as gender and age can impact on the way in which a message is interpreted. For example, a male listener may nod his head to indicate to the speaker ‘I agree’, whereas a female listener may nod her head to communicate ‘I am listening’ (but not necessarily agreeing); so sending the same visible feedback but with different actual meanings.†¢ Disability: Physical or neurological impairment as well as psychiatric illness can call for alternative means to the usual patterns of communication to be adopted. Some examples include sight or hearing loss, and conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or severe depression.†¢ OrganisationalBarriers to effective communication can be located within the organisation or agency itself. Difficulties with established lines and means of communication, different relative physical location of staff, lack ok of team or supervision meetings organisation or agency itself.Characteristics of Effective Communication Even in today’s electronic age, effective inter personal communication skills are a key factor in your professional and personal success. 1.A Clear,Concise MessageNo one likes a rambler, so have your primary purpose in mind when you begin your communication. Simplify your thoughts, so you can present your point in a precise manner. Once you have made your first important point, move on to  the next.2.Understanding of the RecipientEffective communicators know who they are talking to, and they understand the style of communication will vary based on the recipient. For example, you probably talk to your co-workers very differently than you talk to your boss.3.Empathy for the RecipientEmpathy involves putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. Effective communicators always see the situation from the perspective of the other person, including the emotions that might be involved with the message.4.Effective ListeningCommunication isn’t all about talking to someone. Effective listening means really hearing what the o ther person is saying as well. Paraphrasing the message and repeating it back to the individual will let you know you understood their point accurately. It also shows that you care enough about their message to get it right the first time. 5.Asking for Clarification, when NecessaryEffective communicators aren’t afraid to ask for clarification if they don’t understand the message they are receiving. When you ask for clearer understanding, it shows that you really care what the person is talking about and ensures the conversation proceeds appropriately. Clarification can come from paraphrasing what you heard the other person say or simply asking him to relay his message in a different way that is easier for you to understand.6.Adherence to the FactsEffective communicators are much more interested in passing of facts than assumptions or gossip. Avoid the rumor mill at all costs, and unless you can verify your information through the original source, do not pass it on to o thers. If you are conveying a message from another person, it is also important to get that person’s permission to do so before passing the information onto others.7.Awareness of Body LanguageBody language makes up a large percentage of our messages, so effective communicators learn how to tune into the nonverbal message they are sending. Make eye contact with the person you are talking to as much as possible, particularly when that person is speaking to you. Avoid potentially offensive body language like fidgeting, biting your lip or rolling your eyes that might convey boredom, cynicism or lack of honesty.8.Provision of Proper FeedbackWhen you offer feedback to another person, make sure it is constructive. Feedback is important to maintain a positive conversation and ensure you are both on the same page. Feedback might involve requests for clarifications, questions to expand a particular message, or constructive criticism about another’s performance. Pepper potential criticism with plenty of positive feedback so the recipient is more likely to hear your message and take it to heart.9.Inclusion of Praise, when AppropriateEffective communicators know how and when to offer praise. Positive feedback is always welcome, as long as the recipient knows it is authentic. When you praise another person, be specific in your compliment by linking it directly to a specific activity or attribute. Praise someone publically whenever you can, and make sure the praise coming out of your mouth is genuine. When you must convey negative information or criticism, try starting out with praise and ending with a positive statement. This â€Å"hamburger† approach usually helps others take criticism in stride.10. Positive AttitudeNo one likes to listen to a complainer, so effective communicators work hard to keep their messages positive. Instead of using phrases like, â€Å"I can’t† or â€Å"We won’t† in your conversations, focus on what you can do for others. Even if you cannot grant a request the way someone hopes, keeping your message positive will allow the other person to accept your â€Å"no† with grace. Effective communicators are typically the successful people in life that others admire. If you would like to join this elite group, practice these tips to improve your own communication skills. The improvement in your professional and personal relationships will make the work on your communication worth the effort.The Types of Communication Skills1. Verbal Communication Verbal communication skills are very important and must be honed, particularly in a job in which employees deal with the public. Clear communication requires straightforward language that is neither too flowery or too simple. It is essential to be able to use the spoken word to get your point across simply. Higher levels of communication competencies deal with persuasive speaking and these skills are necessary for management level employ ees and those in marketing positions within a company. All employees can benefit from public speaking courses, which help develop these key communication skills.2. Non verbal CommunicationNonverbal communication is much more difficult for many people. It consists of body language and the cues that are given off while listening to someone else speak. Those in customer service positions need to have a highly developed competency level in listening. Nodding of the head, inclining towards the speaker and showing an open body (shoulders back, arms uncrossed) let a speaker know that you are listening and hearing what they have to say.3. Oral communicationOral communication, while primarily referring to spoken verbal communication, can also employ visual aids and non-verbal elements to support the conveyance of meaning. Oral communication includes speeches, presentations, discussions, and aspects of interpersonal communication. As a type of face-to-face communication, body language and cho ice tonality play a significant role, and may have a greater impact upon the listener than informational content. This type of communication also garners immediate feedback.4. Written CommunicationOne often overlooked area of communication is the written word. Even the most basic position in a company requires employees to have good written communication skills. Proper spelling, grammar usage and a professional way of imparting information are important competencies that must be mastered. Written communication that is poorly worded, misspelled or full of errors detracts from the overall message that is being imparted. This is even more  vital when dealing with the public through written communication. People judge others by the way they write and it is important to make sure that written communication is professional.5. Business communicationA business can flourish only when all objectives of the organization are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization, all the peo ple of the organization must be able to convey their message properlyBarriers to Communication1.Language Barriers Clearly, language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to communication. However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). For example, a message that includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who is not familiar with the terminology used. Regional colloquialisms and expressions may be misinterpreted or even considered offensive. See our page: Effective Speaking for more information.2.Psychological BarriersThe psychological state of the receiver will influence how the message is received. For example, if someone has personal worries and is stressed, they may be preoccupied by personal concerns and not as receptive to the message as if they were not stressed. Stress management is an important personal skill t hat affects our interpersonal relationships. See our pages Stress: Symptoms and Triggers and Avoiding Stress for more information.Anger is another example of a psychological barrier to communication, when we are angry it is easy to say things that we may later regret and also to misinterpret what others are saying. See our pages: What is Anger?, Anger Management and Anger Management Therapy for more information. More generally people with low self-esteem may be less assertive and therefore may not feel comfortable communicating – they may feel shy about saying how they really feel or read negative sub-texts into messages they hear. Visit our pages on Improving Self-Esteem and Assertiveness for more information.3.Physiological BarriersPhysiological barriers may result from the receiver’s physical state: for example, a receiver with reduced hearing may not grasp to entirety of a spoken conversation especially if there is significant background noise.4.Physical BarriersAn example of a physical barrier to communication is geographic distance between the sender and receiver(s). Communication is generally easier over shorter distances as more communication channels are available and less technology is required. Although modern technology often serves to reduce the impact of physical barriers, the advantages and disadvantages of each communication channel should be understood so that an appropriate channel can be used to overcome the physical barriers.5.Systematic BarriersSystematic barriers to communication may exist in structures and organisations where there are inefficient or inappropriate information systems and communication channels, or where there is a lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities for communication. In such organisations, individuals may be unclear of their role in the communication process and therefore not know what is expected of them.6.Attitudinal BarriersAttitudinal barriers are behaviours or perceptions that prev ent people from communicating effectively. Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from personality conflicts, poor management, resistance to change or a lack of motivation. Effective receivers of messages should attempt to overcome their own attitudinal barriers to facilitate effective communication. Common Barriers to Effective Communication1.The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms. 2.Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express their emotions and some topics may be completely ‘off-limits' or taboo. 3.Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver. Barriers to 4.Differences in perception and viewpoint.  5.Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties. 6.Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective.7.Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents. 8.Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to incorrect conclusions. 9.Cultural differences The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal space varies between cultures and between different social settings.The Main Skills for Effective CommunicationFollowing are the main skills one should have to master to become an effective communicator. Although acquiring all these skills and mastering them to the same level seems to be challenging, knowing all these skills and slowly working on them will take you to the level you want to be in communication.1.Staying FocusedWhen you deal with a current crisis or an argument, relating something from the past is quite natural. When this happens, most of the times, the disc ussion goes out of topic and the situation can become quite complicated. Staying focused is one of the best skills not only for communicating under pressure, but for all types of communications ranging from lunch chitchats to board discussions. If you go out of focus, there is a high chance that the end result of the communication may not be effective.2.Listening CarefullyAlthough people think that they are listing when another person talks, actually they are spending time planning what to say next. This is what we actually do! Therefore, you need to make an extra effort in order to listen to what the other person says and then come up with what you want to say. If you are not sure what you've heard, repeat it and ask for their confirmation.3.Understanding Others' Point of ViewsIn most of the communications, we want ourselves heard and understood. We talk a lot on our point of view and try to get the buying of who are listening. Remember, others also do the same! If you want them to hear you, you need to hear them and understand their point of view too. If you can really see through their point of view, you can actually explain yours in a clear and applicable way.4.Empathy When CriticizingSometimes, we become really defensive when someone criticizes us. Since criticism has close ties with emotions, we can be easily erupted. But, in communication, it is really important to listen to the other person's pain and difficulties and respond with empathy. At the same time, try to extract the facts and the truth in what they say, it can be useful for you.5.Taking OwnershipTaking personal responsibility is strength. When it comes to effective communication, admitting what you did wrong is respected and required. Most of the times, there are many people, who share responsibility in a conflict. In such cases, admit what is yours. This behaviour shows maturity and sets an example. Your behaviour most probably will inspire others to take responsibility for their share.6.Com promise if NecessaryWe love to win arguments all the time, but how often have you felt empty inside after winning an argument? Sometimes, winning an argument does not make sense. You may win the argument but might lose the corporation of other people. Communication is not about winning, it's about getting things done. For the objective of getting things done, you may have to compromise in the process. If it is necessary, please do!7.Take a Time-Out if NecessarySometimes, you need to take a break in the middle of the discussion. If the communication is intensive, there can be ineffective communication pattern surfaced. Once you notice such patterns, you need to take a break and then continue. When you continue after the break, all the parties involved in the discussion will be able to constructively contribute for the discussion.8.Compete for Your ObjectiveAlthough there can be a lot of obstacles on your way, do not give up what you are fighting for. Surely you may have to compromise , but clearly stand for what you believe in. When it comes to communication, all the parties involved should satisfy with the outcome of it. Ask for Help Sometimes, you might have difficulties to communicate certain things to certain parties. This could be due to an issue related to respect or something else. In such cases, seek help from others. Your manager will be one of the best persons to help you with.ConclusionThus, effective communication helps us better understand a person or situation and enables us to resolve differences, build trust and respect, and create environments where creative ideas, problem solving, affection, and caring can flourish. As simple as communication seems, much of what we try to communicate to others—and what others try to communicate to us—gets misunderstood, which can cause conflict and frustration in personal and professional relationships. By learning these effective communication skills, you can better connect with your spouse, kids , friends, and coworkers.

Prepararse Conjugation in Spanish, Translation, and Examples

Prepararse Conjugation in Spanish, Translation, and Examples The verb prepararse is a reflexive verb that means to prepare yourself, to get prepared, or to get ready for something. Since this verb is often used reflexively, this article includes prepararse conjugations with reflexive pronouns in the indicative mood (present, past, conditional, and future), the subjunctive mood (present and past), the imperative mood, and other verb forms. Preparar vs. Prepararse The verb prepararse can also be used non-reflexively as preparar, which is always accompanied by a direct object. Preparar can be used to talk about preparing things like food or materials, or to talk about preparing people, as in training them for a job or sport competition. When talking about getting ready to go out, like getting dressed, etc., a more common verb is alistarse. Present Indicative When conjugating a reflexive verb, the reflexive pronoun should be included before each conjugated verb. Yo me preparo Yo me preparo para mis exmenes. I prepare for my exams. Tà º te preparas Tà º te preparas para la carrera. You prepare for the race. Usted/à ©l/ella se prepara Ella se prepara para su nuevo trabajo. She prepares for her new job. Nosotros nos preparamos Nosotros nos preparamos para dar un discurso en la conferencia. We get ready to give a speech at the conference. Vosotros os preparis Vosotros os preparis para hacer un largo viaje. You get ready to make a long trip. Ustedes/ellos/ellas se preparan Ellos se preparan para recibir a los invitados. They prepare to receive the guests. Preterite Indicative Use the preterite tense when you want to describe completed actions in the past. Yo me preparà © Yo me preparà © para mis exmenes. I prepared for my exams. Tà º te preparaste Tà º te preparaste para la carrera. You preparedfor the race. Usted/à ©l/ella se preparà ³ Ella se preparà ³ para su nuevo trabajo. She preparedfor her new job. Nosotros nos preparamos Nosotros nos preparamos para dar un discurso en la conferencia. We got ready to give a speech at the conference. Vosotros os preparasteis Vosotros os preparasteis para hacer un largo viaje. You got ready to make a long trip. Ustedes/ellos/ellas se prepararon Ellos se prepararon para recibir a los invitados. They preparedto receive the guests. Imperfect Indicative Use the imperfect tense when you want to describe actions in the past that were ongoing or repeated. You can translate the imperfect as was getting ready or used to get ready. Yo me preparaba Yo me preparaba para mis exmenes. I was preparing for my exams. Tà º te preparabas Tà º te preparabas para la carrera. You were preparingfor the race. Usted/à ©l/ella se preparaba Ella se preparaba para su nuevo trabajo. She was preparingfor her new job. Nosotros nos preparbamos Nosotros nos preparbamos para dar un discurso en la conferencia. We were getting ready to give a speech at the conference. Vosotros os preparabais Vosotros os preparabais para hacer un largo viaje. You were getting ready to make a long trip. Ustedes/ellos/ellas se preparaban Ellos se preparaban para recibir a los invitados. They were preparingto receive the guests. Future Indicative There are two forms of the future tense. The simple future is conjugated with the infinitive form and the future tense endings (à ©, s, , emos, à ©is, n). Yo me prepararà © Yo me prepararà © para mis exmenes. I will prepare for my exams. Tà º te preparars Tà º te preparars para la carrera. You will preparefor the race. Usted/à ©l/ella se preparar Ella se prepararpara su nuevo trabajo. She will preparefor her new job. Nosotros nos prepararemos Nosotros nos prepararemos para dar un discurso en la conferencia. We will getreadyto give a speech at the conference. Vosotros os prepararà ©is Vosotros os prepararà ©is para hacer un largo viaje. You will getready to make a long trip. Ustedes/ellos/ellas se prepararn Ellos se prepararn para recibir a los invitados. They will prepareto receive the guests. Periphrastic  Future Indicative   The other form of the future tense is the periphrastic future, which is conjugated with three components, the verb ir (to go), the preposition a, and the infinitive preparar. Remember to place the reflexive pronoun before the conjugated verb ir (to go). Yo me voy a preparar Yo me voya preparar para mis exmenes. I am going to prepare for my exams. Tà º te vasa preparar Tà º te vasa preparar para la carrera. You aregoing to preparefor the race. Usted/à ©l/ella se vaa preparar Ella se vaa preparar para su nuevo trabajo. She isgoing to preparefor her new job. Nosotros nos vamosa preparar Nosotros nos vamosa preparar para dar un discurso en la conferencia. We aregoing to get readyto give a speech at the conference. Vosotros os vais a preparar Vosotros os vaisa preparar para hacer un largo viaje. You aregoing to get ready to make a long trip. Ustedes/ellos/ellas se vana preparar Ellos se vana preparar para recibir a los invitados. They aregoing to prepareto receive the guests. Present Progressive/Gerund Form In Spanish, the gerund or present participle is often used as an adverb or to form progressive tenses like the present progressive. When conjugating progressive tenses there are two options for placement of the reflexive pronoun: it can go before the conjugated auxiliary verb estar, or attached to the end of the present participle. Present Progressive ofPrepararse se est preparando / est preparndose Ella se est preparando para su nuevo trabajo. She is preparing for her new job. Past Participle Similarly to English, in Spanish the past participle is used in perfect tenses like the present perfect. In perfect tenses the reflexive pronoun must be placed before the conjugated auxiliary verb haber. Present Perfect of Prepararse se ha preparado Ella se ha preparado para su nuevo trabajo. She has prepared for her new job. Conditional Indicative If you want to talk about possibilities, you can use the conditional tense. Yo me prepararà ­a Yo me prepararà ­a para mis exmenes si tuviera tiempo. I would prepare for my exams if I had time. Tà º te prepararà ­as Tà º te prepararà ­as para la carrera si estuvieras motivado. You would preparefor the race if you were motivated. Usted/à ©l/ella se prepararà ­a Ella se prepararà ­apara su nuevo trabajo, pero ella conoce bien el material. She would preparefor her new job, but she knows the material well. Nosotros nos prepararà ­amos Nosotros nos prepararà ­amos para dar un discurso en la conferencia, pero no tenemos tiempo. We would getreadyto give a speech at the conference, but we don't have time. Vosotros os prepararà ­ais Vosotros os prepararà ­ais para hacer un largo viaje si tuvierais ms dinero. You would getready to make a long trip if you had more money. Ustedes/ellos/ellas se prepararà ­an Ellos se prepararà ­an para recibir a los invitados si decidieran venir. They would prepareto receive the guests if they decided to come. Present Subjunctive Que yo me prepare La maestra espera que yo me prepare para mis exmenes. The teacher hopes that I prepare for my exams. Que tà º te prepares El entrenador sugiere que tà º te prepares para la carrera. The coach suggests that you prepare for the race. Que usted/à ©l/ella seprepare El jefe espera que ella se prepare para su nuevo trabajo. The boss hopes that she prepares for her new job. Que nosotros nos preparemos El profesor recomienda que nosotros nos preparemos para dar un discurso en la conferencia. The professor recommends that we get ready to give a speech at the conference. Que vosotros os preparà ©is Carlos pide que vosotros os preparà ©is para hacer un largo viaje. Carlos asks that you get ready to make a long trip. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas sepreparen Marta pide que ellos se preparen para recibir a los invitados. Marta asks that they prepare to receive the guests. Imperfect Subjunctive There are two possible ways of conjugating the imperfect subjunctive: Option 1 Que yo me preparara La maestra esperaba que yo me preparara para mis exmenes. The teacher hoped that I prepare for my exams. Que tà º te prepararas El entrenador sugerà ­a que tà º te prepararas para la carrera. The coach suggested that you prepare for the race. Que usted/à ©l/ella sepreparara El jefe esperaba que ella se preparara para su nuevo trabajo. The boss hoped that she prepared for her new job. Que nosotros nos preparramos El profesor recomendaba que nosotros nos preparramospara dar un discurso en la conferencia. The professor recommended that we get ready to give a speech at the conference. Que vosotros os prepararais Carlos pedà ­a que vosotros os prepararais para hacer un largo viaje. Carlos asked that you get ready to make a long trip. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas seprepararan Marta pedà ­a que ellos se prepararan para recibir a los invitados. Marta asked that they prepare to receive the guests. Option 2ï » ¿ Que yo me preparase La maestra esperaba que yo me preparase para mis exmenes. The teacher hoped that I get ready for my exams. Que tà º te preparases El entrenador sugerà ­a que tà º te preparases para la carrera. The coach suggested that you get ready for the race. Que usted/à ©l/ella sepreparase El jefe esperaba que ella se preparase para su nuevo trabajo. The boss hoped that she get ready for her new job. Que nosotros nos preparsemos El profesor recomendaba que nosotros nos preparsemospara dar un discurso en la conferencia. The professor recommended that we get ready to give a speech at the conference. Que vosotros os preparaseis Carlos pedà ­a que vosotros os preparaseis para hacer un largo viaje. Carlos asked that you get ready to make a long trip. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas sepreparasen Marta pedà ­a que ellos se preparasen para recibir a los invitados. Marta asked that they get ready to receive the guests. Imperative If you want to give an order or command you need the imperative mood. When conjugating a reflexive verb, note that in positive commands, the reflexive pronoun goes after the verb, while in negative commands, the reflexive pronoun goes before the verb. Positive Commands Tà º preprate  ¡Preprate para la carrera! Get ready for the race! Usted preprese  ¡Preprese para su nuevo trabajo! Get ready for your new job! Nosotros preparà ©monos  ¡Preparà ©monos para dar un discurso en la conferencia! Let's get ready to give a speech at the conference! Vosotros preparaos  ¡Preparaos para hacer un largo viaje! Get ready to make a long trip! Ustedes preprense  ¡Preprense para recibir a los invitados! Get ready to receive the guests! Negative Commands Tà º no te prepares  ¡No te prepares para la carrera! Don't get ready for the race! Usted no se prepare  ¡No se prepare para su nuevo trabajo! Don't get ready for your new job! Nosotros no nos preparemos  ¡No nos preparemos para dar un discurso en la conferencia! Let's not get ready to give a speech at the conference! Vosotros no os preparà ©is  ¡No os preparà ©is para hacer un largo viaje! Don't get ready to make a long trip! Ustedes no se preparen  ¡No se preparen para recibir a los invitados! Don't get ready to receive the guests!

Free Online Public Schools in Georgia

Free Online Public Schools in Georgia Georgia offers resident students the opportunity to take online public school courses for free. Below is a list of online schools currently serving elementary and high school students in Georgia. Most programs are free to residents, but one program may require students to pay a fee. To qualify for the list, schools must meet the following qualifications: Classes must be available completely online.They must offer services to state residents.They must be funded by the government. Virtual schools listed may be charter schools, statewide public programs, or private programs that receive government funding. Georgia Connections Academy This website for this online school notes that: Students throughout Georgia have the opportunity to thrive at Georgia Connections Academy Charter School, a tuition-free public cyber school. (The online program) gives students the flexibility to learn at home with an online curriculum that meets rigorous state  education  standards.   The school offers: A  curriculum  developed by leading education expertsInstruction from state-certified  teachers  experienced in  online instructionSupport from trained counselors, principals, and administrative staffCurriculum materials  needed to participate in a dynamic online learning environment Georgia Credit Recovery The Georgia  Credit Recovery Program gives students who did not initially succeed in obtaining course credit the chance to earn credit toward  graduation. The school notes that it provides: Flexible  schedulesComplete core courses, aligned to state standards, for which the student will demonstrate mastery before receiving a gradeSome elective courses The courses, however, are not taught by a teacher, and even though the program is publicly funded, students may incur a fee. Georgia Cyber Academy The Georgia Cyber Academy is for kindergarten through 12th-grade students and offers: Full-time, tuition-free online public educationSupport from state-certified teachersStudents a chance to earn college credit while in high school in select coursesHigh-interest courses that introduce a variety of possible careersA range of extracurricular activities Georgia Virtual Academy A tuition-free, online public school, Georgia Virtual Academy offers: Individualized  learning plans  targeted to each students strengths and weaknessesGeorgia-certified teachers who guide progress and tailor teaching to student needsAn advanced-learner programThe opportunity for qualified high school  students to earn college creditsField trips, social activities, and clubs  help students connect Georgia Virtual School Georgia Virtual School is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Educations Curriculum and Instruction Division. The program, operated in partnership with schools and parents across the state, offers over 100 middle and high school courses in the core content areas, world languages and electives as well as a number of AP courses. The school also has  online media and guidance centers The school also offers some flexibility in course schedules, including: For fall and spring, students can choose an 18-, 16-, 14- or 12-week  schedule.For fall and spring,  Advanced Placement  courses are only offered on the 18-, 16- or 14-week schedule.For summer, students can select either a six- or five-week schedule.

Buddhist canonical texts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buddhist canonical texts - Essay Example The latter are the various commentaries on canonical texts and other treatises on the Dharma, as well as collections of quotations, histories, grammars, etc. () However, it should be borne in mind that many divisions are arbitrary, and some texts fall between categories, or can be associated with more than one category. Canonical texts are in some way or other associated with Gautama, the historical Buddha. Different schools, however, are not always in agreement about which texts are canonical, and the various recessions of the Buddhist Canon contain widely varying numbers and types of texts. Broadly speaking, the texts come in three types: sutras (i.e. discourses), vinaya (relating to the rules of monastic discipline), and abhidharma (analytical texts). Together these three make up what is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pali as the Tipitaka. Both the sutras and the vinaya of every Buddhist school contain a huge variety of documents including discourses on the Dharma, commentaries on other teachings, cosmological and cosmogonical texts, stories of the Buddha's previous lives, and various lists (Skilton 50). The Theravada and other Nikaya schools believe, more or less literally, that these texts contain the actual words of the Buddha. The Theravada canon, also known as the Pali Canon after the language it was written in, contains some four million words. Later texts, such as the Mahayana Sutras, are also considered to be the word of the Buddha, but were transmitted either in secret, via lineages of mythical beings (such as the nagas), or came directly from other Buddhas or bodhisattvas. Some 600 Mahayana Sutras have survived in Sanskrit, or in Chinese and/or Tibetan translation. The most complete Mahayana Canon is in Chinese, though it was originally in Sanskrit. It contains texts from many strands of earlier tradition. Non or semi-canonical texts have been important from very early in Buddhism. Extensive commentaries exist in Pali for the Pali Canon and in Tibetan, Chinese and other East Asian Languages. Important examples of non-canonical texts are the Visuddhimagga, or Path of Purification, by Buddhaghosa, which is a compendium of Theravada teachings that include quotes from the Pali Canon. The Milinda Panha, or Questions of Milinda, is a popular condensation of the Dharma in the form of a dialogue between the Buddhist sage Nagasena and the Indo-Greek King Menander (Eddy 164). The treatise Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana (attributed by the faithful to Ashvaghosa) strongly influenced Mahayana doctrine and inspired numerous commentaries authored by early Chinese and Korean Buddhist teachers. Shantideva's Bodhicaryavatara has been influential in both Mahayana and Vajrayana, and his Shikshasamucaya contains references to texts which are no longer extant in any other form. The Platform Sutra of Huineng might be considered a semi-canonical text, it is one of a very few texts not thought to be spoken by the Buddha that has the label "sutra". One should note, however, that this distinction may be an artifact of translation: in the original Chinese, the Platform Sutra is a jing, a term that may be translated as "sutra", but is also applied to a variety of other classic texts, such as the Daodejing and the Shi Jing. In the Platform Sutra, Hui Neng gives an autobiographical account of his succession as Zen Patriarch, as well as teachings about Zen theory and practice. The Zen and Ch'an school in particular rely on non-canonical