Senior Planet Montgomery Free Online Life Learning Classes for Seniors May 25-29 Will Include Zelle, Internet of Things in Healthcare and Online Shopping

For Immediate Release: Friday, May 22, 2020

Senior Planet Montgomery, a technology training program designed for County learners 60 and older, is offering free online classes that focus on how to thrive at home. Classes, which are offered live via video conference, enhance a wide variety of life skills. Classes May 25-29 will focus on the online payment service Zelle, Internet of Things in Healthcare, and Online Shopping.

In addition to classes in English, two classes during May 25-29 will be delivered in Spanish. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.

Since the first virtual Senior Planet Montgomery class was offered on March 23, more than 3,300 participants have joined programs. Future classes will feature topics such as How to Spot Fake News, Person2Person Payments and Online Health Resources.

The program is supported by the County’s Department of Technology Services’ ultraMontgomery program in partnership with nonprofit OATS (Older Adults Technology Services). The County’s Department of Recreation and Montgomery County Public Libraries also are partners in helping provide the classes at no charge to participants.

Sessions concentrate on user-friendly tools and resources and are designed to enable older adults to learn to utilize technologies to improve their daily lives. Senior Planet Montgomery utilizes curricula created by OATS, which also provides training staff and works with numerous County departments to identify topics of interest for Montgomery residents. OATS sponsors similar Senior Planet programming in six states. The County’s Department of Environmental Protection contributes to the program’s course offerings by producing sessions on how to lower energy costs.

Classes change on a weekly basis. A home internet connection and a device (such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer) are all that is required to participate.

Classes to be offered May 25-29 will include:

• Sending and Receiving Money with Zelle®: Tuesday, May 26, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Lecture will explain “P2P payments” and provide details about Zelle, a P2P payment service available in many online and mobile banking apps. Session will adress the everyday benefits of using Zelle and show how it is used through bank or credit union websites or mobile apps. Tips for using Zelle safely also will be offered. Senior Planet and Zelle have partnered to offer the lecture.
• Protecting Your Personal Info Online: Tuesday, May 26, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Presentation will cover how to protect personal information online.
• Good Morning Montgomery County: Wednesday, May 27, 11 a.m.-noon. Join fellow Montgomery County residents for a morning hour chat. Learn about and share locally relevant tips and tricks.
• All Things Zoom: Wednesday, May 27, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Learn how to use Zoom video conferencing to chat with friends and family—and how to take virtual classes with Senior Planet.
• Online Shopping: Wednesday, May 27, 4-5 p.m. Lecture will provide a general introduction to shopping online using the popular website Amazon.com. Learn how to search for products, make comparisons and add items to an online shopping cart.
• Internet of Things in Healthcare: Thursday, May 28, 11 a.m.-noon. Learn about “telehealth” and how the medical industry is embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) technology to treat patients remotely. Session explores cutting-edge devices from smart hearing aids to ingestible sensors, as well as popular telehealth apps.
• Lighting and Smartbulbs: Thursday, May 28, 2-3 p.m. Lecture reviews common lighting terminology such as watts and lumens and explains the differences between the many types of bulbs currently on the market. Learn which bulbs offer the most in terms of energy efficiency that can help lower utility bills.
• How to Initiate a Zoom Meeting: Friday, May 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Program will go over the features of having and using a Zoom account: how to create an account, create a meeting, share meeting details, invite participants and adjust meeting settings.

Clases en Español:

• ¡Reunión en linea! (All Things Zoom): Martes, 26 de Mayo. 11 a.m.-noon. Únase a este programa en línea y reúnase con otros participantes de Senior Planet para aprender el arte de "conectarse" utilizando la tecnología. Utilizaremos un software de videoconferencia conocido como "Zoom". ¡Zoom se puede usar para chatear con amigos y familiares, y tomar clases virtuales con Senior Planet!
• Podcasts: Viernes 29 de Mayo. 2-3 p.m. Los podcasts son una forma cada vez más popular de entretenimiento y una gran fuente de información sobre todo tipo de temas. En esta inteligentes, aprenderá más sobre estos programas de audio disponibles en Internet: por qué la gente los escucha, dónde puedes encontrarlos y cuáles son los más populares.

For more information about Senior Planet Montgomery and to view its virtual program offerings, visit https://seniorplanet.org/Montgomery. The team can be contacted at 240-753-0676 or via email at mocoinfo@seniorplanet.org.

To sign up for the Senior Planet Montgomery newsletter, which includes detailed information about upcoming classes, go to https://seniorplanet.org/get-involved/newsletters/.

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MAY IS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH. Historically, Older Americans Month has been a time to acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons, particularly those who defended our country. During this month, we want to shed a light on the importance of the 2020 Census. By having a full count of the number of older Americans living in the U.S., leaders in Montgomery County and at the Federal level can provide the services necessary to support their needs, such as:

• Medicare Part B
• Supportive housing for the elderly program
• Libraries and community centers
• Senior community service employment program

#2020Census; #EveryoneCountsMCMD

Release ID: 20-269
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-205-1915