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Dear All - Cynthia is having some problems posting to the list and has just asked me if I would post the following message: 5-16-11 Dear Jack: Thank you for keeping me included in the discussions which I feel are very enlightening. While in the midst of driving home from traffic yesterday I realized Alon raises an important issue concerning epistemology before ontology…I went back to page 64 of my dissertation D.O.O.R.S. OF CHANGE: CAPACITY BUILDING TO DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION (2009) which discusses ontology: “Four research paradigms are recognized in scientific inquiry. They are positivism, postpositivism, critical thinking and constructivism. These paradigms are classified according to ontology, epistemology and methodology. According to Guba (1990) ontology encompasses the nature of reality. Epistemology involves the characteristics of the relationship between the researcher and the item researched. Methodology refers to the manner in which the researcher find out knowledge (Guba, 1990).” Alon Seper’s theory is what I would label as Backwards Design Living Theory or Living Educational Theory which now makes sense to me. I plan to read Alon’s thesis and hope to further understand his viewpoint, which I believe I support as an African American educator because what do you do if the ontological beliefs of a person or group of people are distorted? Let me explain, I am a left-handed person. Years ago I studied the Arabic language which reads right to left, where the English language reads left to right. The right to left Arabic language reading seemed natural to me because I probably have left-spatial orientation as a left-handed person. I also studied calligraphy and had to for the first time use my right hand because the wet ink would smear if I used my left hand. (The left-handed pens did not work for me). So let us call ontology before epistemology the Left to Right theory and epistemology before ontology that Alon brings up the Backwards Design Living Theory or Living Educational Theory. Another way of looking at what I call the Backwards Design Living Theory or (BDLT or BDLET) is to examine racism and the Critical Race Theory (CRT). From CRT or Fanon’s theorectical perspective “Blackness” needs to be defined in terms of the “Black people” not the dominant group because the dominant group viewpoint is different and favors their ontological beliefs…particularly in matters of law. From the CRT perspective Black people are no longer viewed as the problem with racism. The CRT viewpoint is the problem with racism stems from the dominant group which needs to change their perspective, their legal policies and ontological beliefs to end racism. Therefore, you may disagree with this, however, the Backwards Design Living Theory or the epistemology before ontology theory makes sense to me. Cynthia Cozette Lee, Ed.D. 215-971-3684-cell Love Jack.