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Biography - Duane Benton

First and foremost, thank you to each one of you who serve and contribute to our Great Nation and Communities through your service in the military, law enforcement, emergency response, and/or other public service. We could not enjoy the freedoms we have without the great sacrifice of many. Remember, some gave all, all gave some.

Welcome to the the American Public University System and I hope you are excited about your educational opportunities here. Life is a long road race and you have decided to pick up the pace by pursuing an advanced degree, congratulations! While a grounded classroom or "brick and mortar" approach to college education is traditional and may be formatted to a weekend schedule, it is the online environment that is the future for not only adult learners but traditional age students as well. Until the latter part of the 20th century working professionals were left with little recourse for advanced education beyond completely sacrificing their careers and families while returning to school. For some professionals in emergency services or the military it literally was an impossibility given deployments and schedules. Evenings spent attending classes on campuses and other evenings working to complete assignments created great difficulty for adult learners seeking opportunities that post-secondary education may provide. The advent of computers and the Internet has changed education forever.

The future has arrived and all types of working professionals (military, emergency services, and all others, everyone is welcome here) or even traditional age learners may now learn through an online environment. Learning may be accomplished at anytime of day or night via asynchronous online methodologies. Students are not the only beneficiaries of the advent of technology. Working professionals, who desire to teach and give others the opportunity to learn, are now able to return to the classroom via the online environment without sacrificing their careers to enjoy the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards associated from teaching. It is this ideology that has drawn me to seek out opportunities for online course facilitation (I get the opportunity to interact with some of the bravest and best people on the face of the earth, yes I mean you for those that are in the military or emergency services whether stationed at home or abroad). I believe that education should be an applied knowledge. In other words, what you learn should somehow help you in real life.

I have benefited from online learning. Part of my doctorate and second and third masters degrees (post-doctorate) was completed with online professors utilizing a blended format. I found the experience rewarding and at the same time intense. By no means was it “easy or less work.” Actually I felt it was more work than what I had experienced in some "brick and mortar" curriculums. Without the availability of online methodologies I would not have been able to complete my advanced degrees to the level I have today. My experience with online learning provides a significant background from which I may better facilitate this online classroom and hopefully be an encouragement to you.

In any educational setting communication is paramount for successful learning outcomes. Consistent feedback on all assignments, discussions, or other inquiries is critical, especially in an online classroom. Words are powerful tools and how they are conveyed in a two dimensional learning environment may set a positive or negative tone. I believe it is the professor/facilitator's responsibility to maintain a positive learning environment through careful responsive interaction with the learners (you) both collectively and individually in the online classroom.

I would like to say a word about my role as professor/facilitator, rather than instructor, for this course. Facilitating means that I will be helping to create an environment that stimulates your own active learning, versus handing you a specified chunk of information to memorize. We each learn by reading course materials and turning in assignments. However, we also learn when we apply our unique expertise and experiences to class discussions.

My role will be to post course materials and discussion starters, in addition to observing your discussions and participating in them to keep the discussion focused on subjects related to the weekly learning objectives. I will do this by sharing my own experiences as they relate to the learning objectives, providing additional information to help enhance understanding of the course material, and asking questions to help further critical thinking of the required topics. I will not be responding to every post, but I will provide as much feedback and interaction as possible. You can expect to see me in the classroom facilitating discussion and answering questions at least 5 out of 7 days each online week.

The difference is your participation not just attendance. Think of me as your "tour guide" here to assist you in your scenic trip through this course's land of knowledge. I will point out the best site seeing and places of interest. I will even assist you in navigating your way to the destinations. However, experiencing the sites is completely up to you. Learning is highly personal and at the same time collaborative. You must master the information and apply it. The good news is you are in a tour group! You have friends here even if we are separated by time and distance. We will see the sites together through active, almost daily participation in this online classroom and learn what is best about the journey from one another!

TEACHING BACKGROUND
My areas of particular interest are Leadership and Management issues and research involving the development of "Emotional Intelligence" as an integral part of training curriculums. I have instructed at the professional level since the early 1990’s within my work organizations as a highly trained operator/employee. At the adjunct collegiate level, I have been active with 5 regionally accredited universities since 2007. I enjoy rotating the universities due to each one offering me a slightly different teaching/mentoring assignment that continuously reinvigorates me as a part-time higher education practitioner. At APUS I will be teaching within the Homeland and Emergency Services programs. I have taught in the areas of leadership/management psychology, all aspects of criminal justice, intelligence/security issues, and serve on many dissertation committees. I also teach a great deal of the research methods courses (that real geeky stuff).

EDUCATION BACKGROUND
I graduated in 1989 from the University of South Florida with a BA in Criminology. I entered graduate studies in Public Administration in the fall of 1991. Between career challenges and having to attend class the old fashioned way combined with career transition logistics (brick and mortar, no online courses available) it took nine (extended break in the middle) years for me to complete my Master of Public Administration degree from the University of South Florida. Thank goodness for the advent of technology. I graduated in May 2000.

I found a doctoral program that fit my full time work schedule and I felt would benefit me both in my current career and in future alternate career paths. In January 2002, I entered the Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership program at Nova Southeastern University via the Tampa, Florida campus. I was conferred on May 31, 2005 and earned my doctorate. My sub-specialty is in Human Diversity Management and Multiculturalism (do not let that title fool you). My applied dissertation was on the "Development of a Leadership Education Curriculum for the Field Training and Evaluation Program at a County Sheriffs Office."

In June 2005 I started my MBA post-doctorate work also at Nova Southeastern University. You may wonder, why did I pursue an MBA degree? Well the answer is more about learning that anything else and diversification. I gained valuable perspectives and knowledge on private business systems and management. I guess you could say I am passionate about life long learning. I completed the MBA in January 2007. I am continuing my studies to always bring the freshest knowledge and learning to the classroom. In the fall of 2009 I began studies in the Master of Science in the Administration of Justice Program at the University of Louisville. I have completed my third masters degree.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
I began my career in the criminal justice system in 1991 as a Probation and Parole Officer with the Florida Department of Corrections. I supervised many interesting cases during my 5 years and worked a geographic area near the University of South Florida known as Suitcase City due to its transient population. I have dealt with offenders from paroled murderers to worthless check writers and everything in between. By far the most cunning to track and monitor were the sex offenders, who have been so prevalent (unfortunately) in the news lately.

I desired a career change and started with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in 1996. I have been a Deputy Sheriff for 15 plus years. During that time I have been a Patrolman Working a Beat, Field Training Officer, SWAT Team member, and Certified Instructor in General Law Enforcement Subject Matter and Firearms. I have been assigned as a Staff Inspections and Procedural Detective and worked in the Internal Affairs Bureau. As a Detective I functioned primarily as a policy analyst, conducted organizational performance auditing, and investigated corruption. Due to my background I was also tasked with many other projects at the discretion of the Command Staff. I was promoted to Corporal in charge of a Field Training Squad within the Department of Patrol Services District III Office. The squad is tasked with the implementation of a field training curriculum for newly hired Deputy Sheriff Recruits. I supervised the recruits and the Field Training Deputy Sheriffs who are responsible for them. My most recent challenge was the design and implementation of an Intelligence Led Policing Model at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. ILP is a policing model that uses crime intelligence data and analysis to focus organizational resources more accurately for the purposes of crime rate reduction. I was the Corporal of the Intelligence Unit assigned to the District III Office. Recently, I have integrally assisted in the development a central intelligence component called the LINC (Law enforcement Intelligence Nexus Center). I am now back in the Field Training Program as a Corporal within the Department of Patrol Services District II Office. Education has served me well during my criminal justice career. I would not trade my experiences or education for anything. Suffice to say I get asked to tell “war stories” at parties and social functions, go figure. No different than many of you.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND
I am married and have two step-children. Britaney is a graduate from the University of South Florida and Kyle is a Hillsborough County Firefighter. My wife, Debaney, and I were blessed with another beautiful little girl named Delaina (now five years old). Needless to say she is the apple of her Daddy's eye. Debaney is a nurse and her specialty is premature and critically ill infants. I live in Valrico, which is a suburb of Tampa located in the Brandon area. I am a native of the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

FAVORITE QUOTE
"No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor." President Theodore Roosevelt in his third annual message to Congress on December 07, 1903

SPORTS NOTE
I am a big fan of team sports. It is in this paradigm that we may learn many lessons on human conflict, resolution, mediation, and most importantly leadership and team working, while at the same time having fun.

Doc