Terms
Terms of service
Plain language, because a teacher should be able to read the terms of a tool she puts in front of children. Schools on the paid plan also sign a service agreement; where the two differ, the agreement wins.
The service
VEN Method is a web application for planning and running teacher-led classroom sessions, plus this website and the published method. Accounts are created by invitation for teachers and school staff; students never hold accounts.
Your account
Keep your password to yourself, tell us if it is compromised, and use the service for education. You are responsible for the questions you approve: the software proposes, you decide.
Safety rules that are part of the service
The permission to pass is real. An adult reads every question before a child sees it. Nothing is ranked or displayed to students. Safeguarding follows your school’s procedure, not the software. These are in the protocol and you agree to run the method inside them.
Plans and payment
The software is billed by invoice under a signed service agreement at $1 per active student per month; fees, term and renewal are in that agreement. Some classes hold a complimentary or pilot licence granted in writing; those keep the terms they were given. The method itself — The Connection Protocol — is not part of this agreement: it is published under CC BY-SA 4.0 and free to anyone, always.
Your data
The school owns its data. We process it only to provide the service, as described in the privacy policy, and you can export or delete it. The method, the protocol and the essay are CC BY-SA 4.0; the software, the name and the mark are ours.
Availability and changes
We aim for the service to be there when your class is, and we tell you in advance of planned maintenance. We may change the service; we will not remove the safety rules above. We may close an account that breaks these terms, with notice unless the breach endangers a child.
Liability
The service is provided as is. To the extent the law allows, our liability is limited to the fees you paid in the twelve months before the claim, and we are not liable for indirect losses. Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law.
Law
Texas law governs these terms; disputes go to the courts of Bexar County, Texas, unless your service agreement says otherwise. For schools in the EU, mandatory local law applies regardless.