Terms & Conditions for Connected Classroom
1. Acceptable Use
Educators: May use the Intelligence Suite (REAL Connections, CrossLink, Unautomatable AI) exclusively for non-commercial, educational purposes.
Students: Access must be under direct educator supervision; submission of personal data by students is strictly prohibited.
Institutional Users: May implement tools across authorized educational settings as specified in licensing agreements.
Trial Users: Access may be limited, with clear transition paths provided for obtaining full service.
2. AI & Content Ownership
Inputs (Zero Retention): Users retain full ownership of all standards, topics, and educational content entered into the tools. This content is processed temporarily, instantaneously, and is explicitly NOT stored or retained by our systems.
Outputs (Educational License): All generated suggestions (e.g., lesson plans, interdisciplinary bridges) are licensed to the user for non-commercial educational use only. Generated content may not be resold or commercially distributed.
AI Training: User inputs are never used to train AI models. We follow strict data minimization and zero-retention practices.
Intellectual Property: We retain ownership of our proprietary algorithms, prompt engineering (within the Google Apps Script), models, and systems, which are built on the Google Gemini API with custom educational fine-tuning.
3. Prohibited Conduct
Technical Restrictions: Reverse-engineering our AI systems or attempting to extract our proprietary prompt logic from the secure Google Apps Script backend.
Commercial Restrictions: Using any AI outputs for monetization, commercial service, or resale without explicit written agreement.
Ethical Guidelines: Using our tools to generate content that violates educational ethics, academic integrity, or encourages discrimination.
Compliance: Violating applicable laws or regulations through use of our services.
4. Limitation of Liability
AI Tools: Services are provided "as is." We do not guarantee perfect curriculum alignment accuracy or suitability for specific educational contexts. All AI-generated content requires human verification before classroom implementation.
Community Partners: Schools are entirely responsible for independent vetting and safety assessment of any external organization or community suggested by REAL Connections.
Service Availability: We strive for but do not guarantee uninterrupted service.
Educational Outcomes: We do not guarantee specific learning outcomes. Our tools are designed to enhance educator capabilities while preserving professional judgment and autonomy.
Indirect Damages: In no event shall we be liable for indirect, consequential, or punitive damages.
5. Termination
User-Initiated: Users may cease using the tools at any time. Since no user content is stored, there is no data deletion procedure required for inputs.
Company-Initiated: We may suspend or terminate access for accounts violating these terms (e.g., commercial exploitation) or engaging in harmful activities, following our graduated response approach.
6. Pricing and Donations
"Schools Choice" Model: ConnectedClassroom.org operates primarily on an optional donation basis.
Transparency: We provide clear information about service costs and invite optional donations based on the value received and available resources.
No Tax Benefits: As we are not registered as a non-profit organization, donations are not tax-deductible.
7. Modifications to Terms
Updates: We may update these terms with reasonable notice via system banners or email.
Material Changes: Significant changes will require renewed consent.
Continued Use: Continued use after notification constitutes acceptance of modified terms.
8. Dispute Resolution
Informal Resolution: We encourage users to contact us directly to resolve concerns.
Governing Law: These terms are governed by the law of the jurisdiction where Connected Classroom is registered.
9. Key Compliance Highlights (Updated for Zero-Data)
COPPA / FERPA: Our Zero-Data principle means we do not collect or store PII (Personally Identifiable Information), ensuring maximum compliance with these regulations.
GDPR: EU users benefit from the Zero-Data principle, and may contact us for any concerns regarding system metadata.
Accessibility: We strive for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for all digital tools.
Contact Information
Ethics Reporting: ethics@connectedclassroom.org