Senior Planet Montgomery Free Online Classes for Seniors July 13-17 Will Include Streaming and Smart TVs, How to Initiate a Zoom Meeting and Podcasts

For Immediate Release: Sunday, July 12, 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 July 13-17 will include Streaming and Smart TVs, How to Initiate a Zoom Meeting and Podcasts.

In addition to classes in English, two classes during July 13-17 will be delivered in Spanish. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.

During the Spring quarter, more than 4,700 participants joined 124 virtual programs hosted by Senior Planet Montgomery. In July, classes will cover Computer & Internet Basics, Shopping and Entertainment Online, Financial Tools and Saving Money Online and Zoom.

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 July 13-17 will include:

• Streaming and Smart TV's: Monday, July 13, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Presentation will provide an introduction to streaming: What it is, how to use it and the variety of content available. Learn how to watch live TV without cable and how smart TVs and streaming devices allow streaming from the Internet.
• Smartphones: Tuesday, July 14, 11 a.m.-noon Curious about what smartphones can do and why they have grown so popular? Attend this lecture and learn about popular smartphones on the market and some of their pros and cons. Compare and contrast two of the most popular operating systems: Android and Apple’s iOS.
• Food Delivery Apps: Tuesday, July 14, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Ordering food from home is now easier than ever thanks to the internet. This lecture provides an overview of the most popular food delivery apps, such as Seamless. Learn about the pros and cons, how to search for new restaurants and how to leave a tip and rating.
• How to Choose a New Computer: Wednesday, July 15, 10-11 a.m. This informational session addresses some of the most common questions surrounding how to choose a new computer: Where to start? What’s a reliable brand? How much to budget? What technical specifications? Session also will cover operating systems and compare alternatives to the traditional computer, e.g. tablets and Chromebooks.
• Creative Writing workshop: Wednesday, July 15, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Workshop explores introspection, organic imagery and discovery techniques for the purposes of creating poems or art.
• How to Initiate a Zoom Meeting: Wednesday, July 15, 4-5 p.m. This program will go over the features of having and using a Zoom account: how to create an account, create a meeting, share meeting details and invite participants, and adjust meeting settings.
• Protecting Personal Info Online: Thursday, July 16, 11 a.m.-noon. Presentation will cover the ins and outs of how to protect personal information online and provide tips for staying safe in cyberspace, like safe browsing, how to recognize online scams and when it is OK — or not — to share personal information online.
• Podcasts: Thursday, July 16, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Podcasts are an increasingly popular form of entertainment and a great source of information on all kinds of topics. Learn more about these audio programs available on the internet: Why people listen to them, where they can be found and what are the most popular ones.
• Person2Person Payment Services: Friday, July 17, 11 a.m.-noon. Since PayPal debuted more than 20 years ago, person-to-person payments have become commonplace. In this lecture, learn about some of today’s most popular P2P payment services, including PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp. Session will cover some of the basic functions of these services, how they compare and tips for using them safely.

Clases en Español:

• Internet de las cosas (Internet of Things): Lunes, 13 de Julio. 11 a.m.-noon. Esta presentación le dará un resumen del mundo grande del “internet de cosas.” También, le presenta las mejores prácticas para mantener la seguridad de sus dispositivos. Aprenda cómo los dispositivos para consumidores comunican entre ellos a través de este ecosistema y cuáles de sus propios dispositivos conforman partes del “internet de cosas.” También, aprenderá sobre la tecnología detrás de casas inteligentes y ciudades inteligentes.
• Acceso al Internet en Casa (Home Internet Access): Miércoles, 15 de Julio. 11 a.m.-noon. El internet o la red, es una fuente de información, una manera de conectarse con otros/as, y un lugar para explorar al mundo. De hecho, el internet es un mundo al que puede acceder desde la comodidad de su casa. Esta presentación cubrirá la información básica que necesitará saber cuando quiere registrarse por un servicio de internet en casa. También aprenderá sobre diferentes programas de descuento para personas de la tercera edad elegibles a recibir acceso al internet en casa a un precio bajo, para que usted pueda ¡estar en línea y conectarse!

For more information about Senior Planet Montgomery and to view its virtual program offerings, go to seniorplanet.org/montgomery

The team can be contacted at 240-753-0676 or via email at [email protected].

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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Release ID: 20-369
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 301-455-2348