I am learning more and more about the power of imagination. Most adults don't understand why children often don't pay attention. They are occupied with things that are more real to them and probably more important. The child who doesn't listen to the teacher and follows a bird outside the window imagines what this bird might be seeing on his travels. He learns much more than the teacher could teach him.
The best learning we do is because we desire it, encouraged by a stimulating and loving environment. The imagination is one of our greatest tools.