The University of Toledo

07/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/02/2026 01:34

Herb Innovation Center to Host Professional Development Conference on AI in Education on July 30

Herb Innovation Center to Host Professional Development Conference on AI in Education on July 30



The University of Toledo will welcome educators to explore how to best integrate artificial intelligence into classrooms ranging from preschools to universities on Thursday, July 30.

The Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences and Education's Herb Innovation Center (THInC) will present the THInC Forum: Education in the Era of AI, encompassing hands-on workshops, collaborative sessions and networking opportunities, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Thompson Student Union Ingman Room.

The Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences and Education's Herb Innovation Center (THInC) hosted its inaugural THInC Forum in 2025. This year's event, slated for July 30, is titled "Education in the Era of AI."

Attendees are asked to register online by 6 p.m. Thursday, July 16.

"Educators need practical AI literacy to prepare students for an increasingly AI-enabled world," said Dr. Michael Toland, a professor of education and director of the Herb Innovation Center.

The Herb Innovation Center advances teaching and learning through research, collaboration, funding and professional development. Its second annual forum advances this work as an opportunity for educators, school administrators and technology specialists to explore the responsible and practical integration of AI into teaching and learning.

UToledo and visiting experts will begin the conference with a hands-on workshop introducing widely available platforms including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Educators will be challenged to build a standards-aligned lesson plan using these tools while exploring issues such as data privacy and adherence to district policies.

Afternoon sessions will focus on practical and ethical dimensions of AI in education, including strategies for classrooms and research-informed discussions about how emerging technologies are shaping education from preschools to universities, before a final panel discussion at 4 p.m.

Attendees may earn nine continuing education unit credits (CEUs).

For more information or to register, go to the event website. Limited on-site registration will be available at the door.

The University of Toledo published this content on July 02, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 02, 2026 at 07:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]