MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Educators from across the Upper Peninsula gathered in Marquette today to sharpen their teaching skills and learn how data and technology can help students succeed.
More than 800 educators packed into the northern Michigan University’s northern center today for the 2025 MARESA Fall Education Conference, a full day focused on improving teaching through data driven strategies.
“Oftentimes, living here, we have to travel way beyond our boundaries to learn about some of those new best educational practices. So we have created an event here that is truly world class in nature, right here in Marquette,” said Travis Smith of MARESA.
MARESA Deputy Superintendent, Travis Smith, says the conference was designed to turn real classroom data into actionable teaching practices, helping educators identify what works and what doesn’t for their students.
“What we want our educators to think about today is, how can they think about their own thinking? How can they change their practices in order to change the lives of their students,” said Smith.
Four keynote speakers presented topics ranging from visible learning to artificial intelligence, a theme that challenged educators to rethink technology in the classroom.
“AI can help us plan AI can help us set up activities. AI can actually, when used properly, increase human connection in the classroom by helping us design those kinds of environments,” said keynote speaker Myron Dueck.
Organizers say the goal is simple, to give educators the tools and confidence to make an impact on day one.
“We need to make sure that we have our hands on the wheel with AI.
