·        Be courteous. 

o       Everyone is entitled to have a well-reasoned opinion, and you may not always agree with the opinions of other forum users.  While the purpose of these forums is to facilitate the exchange of ideas, including disagreeing with others, you should conduct yourself in a courteous manner.  It is quite possible to disagree with someone and explain the reasons why without being insulting.

o       Language which may be considered obscene, derogatory, inflammatory or insulting will not be tolerated.

o       Language or actions which may be construed as harassment will not be tolerated.

·        Stay on topic.

o       These forums were created as a place for professionals involved in teaching to discuss educational issues.  Discussions should remain professional in nature.

o       Your posts will remain available to the public for the life of these forums.  The administrators and moderators will not edit the content of your posts unless they do not abide by the acceptable use policy.  For that reason, be sure that you post wisely.

o       Links to other sites, files uploaded, etc., should be related to the field of education and appropriate for the general audience of teachers.

o       Posts which are designed to advertize or sell a program or product will be removed immediately.

o       Posts which contain copyrighted or illegal material will likewise be removed.

·        Do not request nor divulge personal information.

o       Do not post personal information (names, email addresses, phone numbers, etc.) in these forums.  This includes your own personal information, as well as that of students, parents, colleagues, etc.  Information which is private and confidential at work is private and confidential here as well.

o       There is a private message system in place within these forums which may be used by registered users.  You are still advised to be cautious about what information you provide another user in such messages, as the ATC is not responsible for what is then done with your information by that individual.  If you receive an unwanted or troubling private message, please inform a moderator or administrator immediately.

Failure to abide by these guidelines may result in a warning, a temporary suspension of a user’s account, or a permanent ban, at the discretion of the forums’ administrators and moderators.