Akpan Funke Founder
Akpan Funke, Founder of Topflighters Online School, popularly known as Teacher Funke, is the “change agent” and the “difference-maker” in the Education Space. Her professional career spans over 13 years, where she started as a school receptionist at an international school. Over the years, has held different positions and has grown her skills and expertise in classroom technology integration, online learning development, educational leadership, and innovation. Her experiences include teacher, head of department, online learning curriculum development, online learning delivery specialist, teacher trainer, SDGs Advocate, Edpuzzle Coach, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, Google Applied Digital Skills Ambassador, 21st Century classrooms professional trainer, and a globally renowned teacher.
Dr. Marialice Curran
Advisory
BOD
Internationally recognized as a digital citizenship pioneer, Dr Marialice B.F.X. Curran is an author, consultant, and speaker who is the global connector behind the Digital Citizenship Institute, Digital Citizenship Summit, and DigCitKids. With her son, she co-authored DigCitKids: Lessons Learning Side-by-Side to Empower Others Around the World. Committed to Human-Centered Design, Dr Curran leads by hand, heart, and mind as she models how to make a positive impact in local, global, and digital communities. Dr Curran has served as an associate professor, a middle school principal, and a middle school teacher. As a connected educator, her work with school communities around the world has created positive and powerful shifts in how we engage and learn online.
DRIVEN BY VISION
Teacher Funke is the Lead trainer and founder at Topflighters Academy, an educational institution founded in 2019, to provide educators with training on 21st Century Teaching tools, methodologies and strategies. Topflighters Academy offers services on Digital Citizenship Education, Education for Sustainable Development and Social and Emotional Learning and Differentiated Instruction.
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I believe that education should be beyond academics. This made me introduce Connection Based Learning in my classroom where my learners can connect with different classrooms from all over the world. The impact caused me to rethink education and the possibilities of learning beyond the four walls of a physical school, because of my efforts and contributions to spreading kindness and connecting students to the global community I was awarded an Empatico Ambassador.
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I am also a Google Digital Skills Ambassador, an Adobe Creative Educator, Digital Citizenship Tutor and Convener, a Social and Emotional Learning Activist, Black Girls Tech Summit Ambassador(2022) and an SDGs Advocate for Nigeria.
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Over the years, I have facilitated trainings, webinars and workshops on Project-Based Learning, 21st Century Teaching Methodologies, Digital Citizenship Education, and Social and Emotional Learning.
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The vision is to remove every barrier and limitation with the physical school and provide students superior virtual learning environment and equip them with the skills to tackle real-world issues through an enthusiasm for continuous study.
The aim is to encourage learners all around the world to discover and cultivate their interests, gain knowledge, learn the abilities and mindsets necessary to excel, cultivate healthy relationships, and become creative, global citizens.
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Topflighters Online School is the first and only fully online school in Nigeria.