Enlighten

Babies enlighten us with their capabilities. In Italian, dare alla luce means to give light. We can say this when a baby is born and they bring light to the world. Babies seek information from their social environment. They can orient to sounds, and their eyes can focus about 6 inches from their face which allows newborns the ability to stare into the eyes of their parent or familiar caregiver who is cradling them. Children communicate in ways that are developmentally appropriate for them. Adults can create embedded learning opportunities for children to develop their social skills (Macy & Bricker, 2007). Parents and educators might support children’s social development by reinforcing socially acceptable manners.

“Please.”

“Thank you.”

These are some examples of courteous words we teach our children to use.

Words like these can demonstrate etiquette when communicating with others. People show respect with verbal and non-verbal communication. Human interactions can be beneficial when we use polite words. Are machine interactions responsive to polite words too? I’m talking about how humans interact with artificial intelligence (AI).

I used AI to create Study Guides for episodes of the BUTTERCUP podcast for my classes. My students will use the audio or video version of BUTTERCUP episodes. Having both auditory and visual formats allows students access to course materials that can lead to increased accessibility of course content (Macy et al., 2018). For example, the iTunes format of the BUTTERCUP podcast has audio which can accommodate students with visual impairments or blindness. The YouTube format has visual information which allows the user to create closed captioning which could support learning for students with hearing impairments or deafness.

The podcast conversations are transcribed. I used an AI tool from the language rich conversations called NotebookLM to create Study Guides from the transcripts of BUTTERCUP episodes. When I created the AI prompts, I noticed that the words make a difference in the outcome. Generative AI seems to have sensitivity to tone and polite words when asking it to do things. I wrote about a related topic in an essay called, “Asking a Favor.” I described how I asked a favor once and the outcome. Research studies by Dr. Ellen Langer and her team reveal strategies for communicating with humans when making requests. What about machines? The tone of the request when creating an AI prompt could be considered.

Does a code of etiquette exist when using AI? Maybe yes. Etiquette matters with humans and perhaps machines too.

Can machines teach us how to be more civil with one another? Can AI enlighten us as we practice politeness with human beings? These are some things I’m wondering about as I learn to communicate with my AI digital assistant who is helping me create Study Guides using polite prompts from episodes of our BUTTERCUP podcast for the classes I teach. Some lessons I am learning are:

~AI can shed light on politeness (Cavalier, 2025),

~AI tools could have a fee, or they could be free of charge (Cavalier, 2025), and

~AI can impact teaching practices, as well as interactions (Lim, 2023; Nikolopoulou, 2024).

Politeness strengthens human interactions, and maybe machines too. Using kind words is a practice worthy of consideration. Courtesy for others is a way we can model good manners for our children.

Sources

“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.” ~Emily Post

Cavalier, J. (April, 2025). Applied AI for business and education: From prompts to powerful workflows. University of Wyoming.

Lim, E. M. (2023). The effects of pre-service early childhood teachers’ digital literacy and self-efficacy on their perception of AI education for young children. Education & Information Technologies, 28(10), 12969–12995. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11724-6

Macy, M. G., & Bricker, D. D. (2007). Embedding individualized social goals into routine activities in inclusive early childhood classrooms. Early Child Development and Care, 177(2), 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430500337265

Macy, M., Macy, R., & Shaw, M., (2018). Bringing the ivory tower into students’ homes: Promoting accessibility in online courses. Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal, 11(1), 13-21. https://doi.org/10.18848/1835-9795/CGP/v11i01/13-21

Nikolopoulou, K. (2024). Generative artificial intelligence in higher education: Exploring ways of harnessing pedagogical practices with the assistance of chatGPT. International Journal of Changes in Education (IJCE), 1(2), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022489

Kiss-and-Go Lane

Some of my favorite conversations happen in the Kiss-and-Go Lane. My little one and I have some of the best talks in the car on our way to and from school. Arrivals, departures, and waiting in the Kiss-and-Go Lane are routines during the day when we share with each other. Some might call it “small talk.” Personally, there doesn’t seem to me anything “small” about connecting with another human over talk. From the cashier to the baby in the stroller, I’m that person in the grocery store line who is talking with others. I love to talk with people. Having conversations is what we do as educators and students. We learn from one another.

I had a chance to talk with people about podcasting at the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) annual meeting (Macy, 2023). It was such a fun conversation that I went home and wrote a paper based on a podcast I use in the university classes I teach. If you’re interested in using podcasts with coursework and curriculum follow the link to the Macy (2025) paper: “Let’s give them something to talk about: Podcasting as a form of pedagogy” (clink on the bold title for link to article).

One of my favorite things that students tell me is how they listen to the “audio only” of the BUTTERCUP iTunes show in their cars. I too listen to the BUTTERCUP podcast and others in my car. As I leave the Kiss-and-Go Lane waving goodbye to my little one, I am tuning into conversations about early childhood topics.

This year marks ten years that I’ve been doing the BUTTERCUP podcast. The exquisite researcher and author of many best-selling books, Ellen Galinksy, was my first guest. Hard to believe that was ten years ago. I’ve learned some things about conversations since I started the podcast in 2015. Here are a few.

• Be prepared. Before every conversation with a guest of the BUTTERCUP podcast, I try to read everything I can that my guest has written. I become a student of that person. I can hear it in my voice and see it in my eyes when I watch the podcast how impressed I am with the person. I’m mesmerized by what each of them has accomplished, but most importantly for who they are. Each one is inspirational and worth knowing and learning from in this platform.

• It’s okay to make mistakes. It is acceptable not knowing something, or making a mistake. Vulnerability. Sam Donaldson talked about being vulnerable when he was on the podcast. He shared this wisdom with me and said, “The more you let someone in to your life, the more they'll let you in to their life.” He has had many convos in his years as an award winning journalist. Check out his episode 12 (below) if you want to hear more things from Mr. Donaldson.

• Edit or cut content, if necessary. There is only one take per episode of the BUTTERCUP podcast. Professional podcasters and producers may have multiple takes and/or tools for production. I’m not a professional or have any formal training in podcast production. My husband, Robert, is the producer and he too has no formal training in podcasting. Everything we know about podcasting is what we have taught ourselves from trips to the library and YouTube videos, as well as professional advice and tips from our friend Garrett Weinzierl (episode 5 below). There is only minor editing of the BUTTERCUP podcast. I try to keep it as organic as possible, but sometimes editing/cutting is necessary. For example, I have terrible habits of fidgeting and saying “Umm” when I get excited and the ideas come faster than the words out of my mouth. If it is too distracting, we cut it from the podcast.

I make the BUTTERCUP podcast for my college students, but the audience has grown to parents and teachers. Last time I checked the analytics, there were over 12,000 listeners who have tuned in since 2015. All I can say is…Thank You! With immense gratitude to my guests who share their work and time, as well as the people who listen to our conversations. Thank you.

Can “small talk” make a difference in someone’s day? For me it does. I hope listeners take something good away from listening to podcast conversations. I’ve got a hunch… good conversations with our children can make a positive impact.

I took this picture on a rainy day in Lombardia with sunshine playing peek-a-boo with the clouds. I was here for an international conference where I did a presentation sharing the podcasting topic with an audience of higher education faculty. I won an award for best paper presentation (Macy, 2025).

Podcast paper appears in the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education (JECTE).

I’m honored to join the JECTE editorial board and begin my four year term.

Thank you to the amazing guests who share their work and stories on the BUTTERCUP podcast. I am grateful for our conversations and your trailblazing work in our field. Click on the person’s name if you would like to hear the conversation.

1. Ellen Galinsky

2. Toni Linder

3. Stefano Bagnato

4. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak

5. Garrett Weinzierl

6. Kurt Kondrich

7. Kevin Marks

8. Mary Jo Huff

9. Robert Gallen

10. Craig Ramey

11. Frances Page Glascoe

12. Sam Donaldson

13. Matt de la Pena

14. Jane Squires

15. Jean Feldman

16. Lou Mongello

17. Laurie Berkner

18. Steve Songs

19. Andrea and Cristina Lou Pepper

20. Natasha Wing

21. Diane Bricker

22. Rick Kubina

23. Hill Walker

24. Anna Eskamani

25. Shantel Hebert-Magee

26. Marie Tourell Soderberg

27. Jennifer Goldfinger

28. DJ Eagle Bear Vanas

29. Paul Dworkin

30. David Lawrence Jr.

31. Amanda Wilkerson

32. DeShawn Chapman

33. Shalander Samuels

34. Julie Wei

35. Harris Rosen

36. Chuck Dziuban

37. Arthur Sims

38. Bill Isler

39. Zibby Owens

40. Sylvia Acevedo

41. Celeste Headlee

42. David Dotson

43. Jennifer Ledford

44. Michael Linden

45. Olivia Okolue

46. Tony Orengo

48. Rhian Evans Allvin

49. Bo Stjerne Thomsen

50. Natalie Danner

51. Chrisanne Gayl

52. Walter Gilliam

53. Timothy Almon Askew

54. Al Spain

55. Iheoma U. Iruka

56. Michelle Kang

57. Emer Ring

58. Edward Melhuish

59. Scott McConnell

60. Robin McWilliam

61. Alessandra Landini

62. Danila Crespin Zidovsky

63. Emily Wiklund Hayhurst

64. Ann Anderson Berry

65. Ilene Schwartz

66. Micki M. Ostrosky

67. Anne Hillerman

68. Scott Chamberlin

69. Junlei Li

70. Sarah Browne

71. Ehichoya “Ehi” Edokhamhen

72. Jessie Brewster

73. Ruth Troyanek

74. Kine Melfaldn Tveten

75. Isabel María Gómez Barreto

76. Carlos Montoya-Fernández

77. Ana Maria Seranno

78. Denise Luscombe

79. Demet Gülaldi

I have a favor to ask you. Yes, YOU! If there is a topic or person you’d like to appear on the BUTTERCUP podcast, please reach out to me and share your thoughts.

P.S. If you are coming to the DEC conference this fall (2025), pretty please stop by my session entitled, “How can we use podcasts with implications for pre-service professionals?” 

References

Macy, M. (2023, October). Airtime for professionals via podcasting. National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) conference in Omaha, NE.

Macy, M. (2025). Let’s give them something to talk about: Podcasting as a form of pedagogy. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 46(2), 243-252.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2024.2410000  

Macy, M. (2025, May). Using a podcast to increase engagement in professional development and implications for early childhood workforce development. International Conference on Online Learning and Teaching (ICOLT - 25) in Milan, Italy. Award for Best Paper Presentation.

User Experience

“Make it a good one.” He always says this right before we hang up the phone. I talk to my Dad almost everyday. During the COVID-19 pandemic we logged many hours discussing everything under the sun. I told him that I was struggling with how to best shift from face-to-face teaching to a virtual format. My child development students were out in the field serving children and their families when the rug was pulled from under all of us around St. Patrick’s Day of 2020. For safety reasons during the global health crisis, people were quarantined and social isolation became the new norm.

Students and I learned together how to do fieldwork when being in person was no longer an option. Trying to finish up the semester with high quality learning experiences for my students was my first priority (as shared here in a blog I wrote April 2020 - click here if you want to read it). The pivot was something we did together. We were not alone. The most magnificent community partners, like cooperating professionals who were supervising our college students, partnered with us. So many new and different field activities were explored. One of them was creating digital content for children and families. That is how we started.

I learned what our early childhood programs were doing and I brought it back to my practicum students and encouraged them to consider creating digital content too, if it fit their practicum placement. My friends at the Seminole County Early Learning Coalition invited my students and me to create videos reading picture books that they could share with families.

The first video I made for them was me singing, The More We Get Together, and then reading a story about routines like brushing teeth. Not my best performance, but heck that’s how we learn from experience. Right?! Rita Mae Brown said, “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.” My second video was using the same format, but this time instead of doing it indoors I took the show on the road and recorded the video in my backyard.

My reasoning for moving the location of the video outside was that I wanted to show children and their families that outdoor reading could be a fun activity. Bring your books outside! I cringe just a little when I watch that video and hear the garbage truck in my neighborhood.

The Early Learning Coalition invitation inspired me in other ways too. I had been creating audio podcasts for BUTTERCUP. I still was making the audio podcast, but during the pandemic I started to use video podcast format since I was getting more comfortable with making digital content. However, I had no idea how the consumer was experiencing these videos that I was making. It is sort of a similar experience when I write and have no idea what the reader is taking away from the words I write down. When I teach, I can see my students’ faces and read their body language as a way to monitor their reaction and pace course content. With digital content, we may not understand or know the user experience.

User Experience (UX) is an important consideration when designing an engaging environment. Especially in the case of virtual environments, consider UX. Thinking about what the consumer sees is the visual design aspects of development. In addition to creating a visually interesting aesthetic, we also need to focus on the information architecture and interactions of the UX.

The ups and downs of the pandemic helped me to learn new ways of doing things. I still use the video format for my podcast. I have been learning a lot about lighting, cameras, and sound. Even two years after using this new approach to the podcast, I still struggle and that’s okay. We learn by doing is what Dr. Emer Ring recently said on Episode 52 (click here) of the BUTTERCUP podcast.

During my interview with Dr. Ring, the unexpected happened and my power went out. While she was talking, I quickly used my smart phone and logged back into the video conference without lights and camera.

I decided to keep Dr. Ring’s episode of the podcast as-is and not edit out the messy parts. WHY? I’m trying to model for my college students that on the merry-go-round of life there will be things that don’t go perfectly. Let’s give ourselves some grace. Things do not have to be perfect to be good.

So in the words of my Dad, “Make it a good one, my friends.” And by the way… it does not have to be perfect to be good.

My Dad (Ronald Galliano) and me on the carousel ride at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

Thank you, Dolly!

“I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give'em yours!” ~Dolly Parton

The scent of turkey is starting to permeate the house as I pluck at letters to make words with only the twinkling tree and computer screen lighting my way across the keyboard. I’m waiting for the rest of my family to wake up. Today is Thanksgiving! With abundant gratitude I reflect on my blessings. I am grateful for my husband of 21 years, my precious daughter, my Mom and Dad, my two brothers, my 4 nieces and 4 nephews, in-laws, extended family members in America and Italy, and friends. I am especially grateful during this health crisis for my own good health, and the health of my family and friends. I am grateful for my students, colleagues, and work. I have so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Before the day is over, people will start holiday shopping. Gift exchange season is upon us. This year might look different for many of us because of the global pandemic and health crisis. Instead of giving and receiving presents in person, many will be going to our mailbox and using postal and delivery services for exchanging holiday presents and cards. 

Parents and children in the US and other countries will be going to their mailbox and they will receive presents from the musician - Ms. Dolly Parton. The gifts she gives children every month are…BOOKS! Glorious books! The Imagination Library is a foundation that Dolly started in honor of her Father.

For over 20 years, the Imagination Library gifts children with books once a month. A personalized book with the child’s name is mailed to their family’s home. Children continue to receive these monthly books from birth until they go to Kindergarten. Dolly’s early literacy gift can help children learn language, letter sounds, story elements, and so much more.

I got to talk with Mr. David Dotson, CEO of the Imagination Library, on a recent episode of the BUTTERCUP podcast episode 40. Check it out and hear what he said about Dolly’s wish, where the logo from the library comes from, how Dolly and David work with authors and publishers to deliver books to children, pursuing a career in the non-profit world, and the story of the Imagination Library. There will also be a premiere of the Imagination Library documentary on Dec. 9th at 7pm on Facebook that Mr. Dotson shared on the podcast. Mark your calendar.

David Dotson, CEO of Imagination Library

This season I am so grateful for gift givers, like Dolly and David, and want to be sure to communicate my gratitude. Time for me to start writing my THANK YOU letters to David Dotson, Dolly Parton, and the Imagination Library team who give the gift of early literacy to children. Thank you for your thoughtful and generous gift of books. Thank you all so much!

Dolly Parton, Founder of Imagination Library

“Parenting is a Participation Sport”

On a recent episode of the Buttercup podcast, my guest Mr. Art Sims said that “parenting is a participation sport.” He was talking about balancing work and life while raising 5 awesome children. Mr. Sims shared how being present in children’s lives matters. Laughter and being present are important in leaving a legacy for children, described Mr. Sims.

I have been thinking about his words, and wondering how to become more present. Being distracted is the enemy of presence. As adults it is easy for us to get distracted with work and other responsibilities.

“Phubbing” is nothing new. Growing up, it was common for me to hear phrases like, “shh, I’m on the phone,” “be quiet kids this is a long distance call from (fill in the blank),” and “I’m trying to talk on the phone here.” We had a phone that was attached to the wall and had a curly cord that made it impossible for my parents to talk on the phone more than 2 feet from the wall. Calls were usually brief because of the discomfort of holding the phone in the crook of one’s neck. “Phubbing” is where someone is snubbed by another with their phone.

Ph (phone) + snub = phub. Phubbing can occur when we focus on phones and ignore the humans in our presence. Today us parents have so many more things we can do with our phones that make it more challenging if we use the smart phone with our children present. I remembered something Mother Teresa of Calcutta said that to change the world, go home and love your family. Parenting is a participation sport where our children thrive on engagement.

Don’t Sweat the Holidays

This month’s blog post is from guest blogger and podcast episode 20 guest: Natasha Wing.

As the author of The Night Before series where many of my books are about holidays, I want to share some advice, “Don’t sweat the holidays.” We have images in our minds of the perfect holidays thanks to Norman Rockwell and Martha Stewart. And we have good intentions of creating the ideal celebration for our family and kids. But the reality of it all is PEOPLE ARE BUSY.

There are dance recitals, sports, after-school activities, homework, TV time, computer games, work, and traffic. Honestly, I don’t know how some people even get the turkey in the oven or the Christmas tree up!

When I write my Night Before books, I keep the modern, busy family in mind. The message I try to convey is, yes you should acknowledge holidays but do your best with the time and resources you have. The important thing is to show your children the joys of the holiday and to spend time with family and cherished friends.

In The Night Before Thanksgiving, I have the kids kick in to help mom prepare the Thanksgiving dinner. But as it happened in my childhood, there was always one family who had trouble making it to grandma’s house in Massachusetts on time due to a snowstorm. Despite the turkey almost being dropped and Norm being stuck in a storm, it all works out in the end of my story because the family is united and sharing a delicious meal.

When writing my first drafts of The Night Before Hanukkah, I surveyed my Jewish friends and asked them what they did as children to celebrate Hanukkah and what they do now as adults. One friend told me he and his wife were too busy to buy candles so improvised with a birthday candle when they fell short. That gave me the idea for the solution in the story and provided realistic humor.

For The Night Before the Night Before Christmas I wanted to show the pressures of preparing for Christmas by including a variety of mishaps during the countdown to Christmas morning. I have a family in the story that has procrastinated for various reasons (mom has the flu, the cookies burn, they waited too long to buy their tree, burned out light bulbs, the mouse has chewed holes in the stockings) yet still makes an effort to pull it all together. In the end, the message is not about decorating the perfect Christmas tree, but about love.

So if you think you need to write a fancy Christmas newsletter but wind up just sending out a quick email, don’t sweat it. If you planned on making four homemade pies to please everyone’s taste and end up buying an apple and pumpkin pie from Costco, don’t feel guilty. In the end, it’s about making an effort and enjoying the time with people you love - and reading a good book with your kids!

Author Natasha Wing

Written by guest blogger Natasha Wing. Ms. Wing has been publishing for 25 years. Some of her titles have ended up on best-sellers lists. She is known for her popular The Night Before series that includes holiday, school and big events in kids' lives themes. Ms. Wing also writes narrative nonfiction. Her latest book, When Jackie Saved Grand Central, received two starred reviews. www.natashawing.com

“Hold On, Mr. President!”

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, has recommended that we prepare young people for living in a world of powerful images, words, and sounds. Parents and professionals working with children have a responsibility to help them interpret and create personal meaning. What do we need to know about media that can help our children?

This was a question I asked renowned reporter, ABC news anchor, author of the book "Hold On, Mr. President," and White House correspondent, Mr. Sam Donaldson.

Mr. Sam Donaldson at our state's annual press women conference.

Check out the podcast to hear Mr. Donaldson share his ideas on several topics like: early childhood education, communication, media literacy, asking questions of public officials, and much more. http://www.marisamacy.com/podcast/

Source: Donaldson, S. (1987). Hold On, Mr. President! New York: Random House Inc.

What Not to Ask

There is an art to asking parents questions. What not to ask parents may be just as important as what to ask.

“Can you be here at 1:30pm on Monday for our appointment to talk about your child?”

 “What worries you about your child?”

These are some of the many questions parents get asked.

Recently, I had a chance to chat with Dr. Frances Page Glascoe on my iTunes show about her work with parents and professionals. One of the things she shared was how to use time efficiently when interviewing parents about their children during pediatric encounters. Dr. Glascoe talked about how to use different tools to gather information prior to the parent/professional visit. This could help avoid the oh, by the way and door knob concerns at the end of an interview when the time is up.

Health communication literature has a well-known study called the “3-Min. Interview.” Researchers studied encounters between healthcare providers and patients. They found that if the professional interrupted the patient within the first 3 minutes of the encounter, the patient was less likely to give information that would lead to an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Glascoe cautioned the use of the word, “worry.” For example, is there anything that worries you about your child? This could be a loaded word that parents may have difficulty addressing. Words and methods for communicating with parents may have a significant impact on service quality.

Check out the podcast to hear Dr. Glascoe talk about facilitating effective communication with parents and much more. http://www.marisamacy.com/podcast/

Dr. Frances Page Glascoe

Abecedarian

The term “abecedarian” means to learn the rudiments of something, or alphabetical arrangement. In educational circles, the Abecedarian Project refers to a study which explores the impact of early childhood education on babies who were born between 1972 and 1977. Researchers have been following the babies across their lifespan to determine the impact early childhood educational opportunities have on them. I am so lucky to be able to talk with interesting, smart, and charismatic leaders on our Buttercup iTunes show. Recently, I got a chance to talk with Dr. Craig Ramey who pioneered the legendary Abecedarian Project on episode 10 of the BUTTERCUP podcast.

It is amazing to me how researchers can conduct longitudinal studies without losing participants over time. Attrition, or participants dropping out of a study, can be a problem in research. When I asked Dr. Ramey about this he said that as a researcher he tries to share his appreciation for their contribution and treat participants with respect. He and his team do things like send birthday and holiday greeting cards to participants. The work he and his team do to maintain participation by the people in their study has proven a successful strategy because the babies are turning 45 years old this year and are still participating in the Abecedarian Project.

Thank you to Drs. Craig and Sharon Ramey and all involved in the Abecedarian study for your major contribution to child development research. Check out the podcast to hear Dr. Ramey discuss the interesting things they have found about the importance of early childhood education, as well as implications for policy development. http://www.marisamacy.com/podcast/

Dr. Craig Ramey