Education: Event or process?

Was becoming a citizen an event or process?

Inside this building, the process began where travelers to the United States were prepared and inspected and interviewed before they were allowed to enter the country.  This Ellis Island landmark at the statue of liberty site in New York City saw millions of people walk these floors.  This could take hours, days or weeks but finally the process was complete and the event happened.  Weary travelers were granted access to this great nation.

A bunch of us this past weekend, we were considering emotions, and if they were events or processes.  We concluded both.  This meant an event occurred but then continued and the process began.  Let's consider other characteristics, like sorrow, grief or even forgiveness.  These all seem characterized by events, happening in an instant, and often based on other's actions.  But because they endure in our psyche, we often dwell on them and take time to process through the entire situation, sometimes to our detriment and distraction.  Thus these things labeled as emotions can take on an existence of their own.  The event begins the process and benchmarks are met along the way!
For instance, does forgiveness require us to forget?  Does it mean we no longer consider the past or do we use the past as a basis for our future treatment?  One perspective says we forgive but remember.  The other point of view claims we forgive and forget!  Both cases warrant inspection. 
Education is similar, in that students reach milestones along the way but continue to learn.  Learners build on prior knowledge but often have aha moments where they grasp new concepts with clarity and understanding like never before.  No longer in a fog, learners begin to incorporate new ideas and with practice and rehearsals, improvement occurs and learning happens.  Even as adults, we often continue our learning, adapting and changing as we adjust to our surroundings.  Equipping our students with tools to improve their lot and not just cope with the problems we leave them become a top priority.
Education is hence both an event and a process.  A grade level takes 174 days of school, 13 years and possible post-secondary work and hopefully on into life.  Education continues and those that learn from other people's mistakes are the truly wise.
Hopefully, we all remain lifelong learners!  #onthemap