For Immediate Release: Friday, November 6, 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 Nov. 9-13 will include Tech and Energy and Person 2 Person Payment Services.
In addition to classes in English, two classes during Nov. 9-13 will be delivered in Spanish. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.
During the spring and summer program quarters, more than 7,000 participants joined 234 virtual programs hosted by Senior Planet Montgomery. This fall, classes will cover how to use and host on Zoom, online basics, popular social media sites, lowering one’s utility bill, financial security and civic engagement.
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 Nov. 9-13 will include:
- Tech and Energy: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 3-4 p.m. Lecture reviews the top energy users in the home and how to spend less money on energy. Learn about kill-a-watt meters, which inform how much energy a device is using even when it is shut off, and thermal energy cameras, which identify missing insulation in your home. Also learn how Internet-connected smart plugs, powerstrips and ENERGY STAR appliances can help use less energy.
- Person 2 Person Payment Services: Thursday, Nov. 12, 4-5 p.m. 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 Zelle. Class covers some of the basic functions of these services, how they compare and tips for using them safely.
- eBay & Paypal: Friday, Nov. 13, 11 a.m.-noon. Lecture provides an overview of the popular auction website eBay and the pioneer online payment service PayPal. Learn the basics of buying and selling on eBay, as well as some important concepts, like seller feedback scores. This lecture will also present a basic overview of some of PayPal’s most popular features.
Clases en Español:
- Compras en línea (Online Shopping): Lunes, 9 de noviembre, 11a.m.-noon. Comprando productos por el internet le permite hacer compras desde su computadora y enviarlas a su casa o a cualquier dirección indicada. Tiendas en línea frecuentemente tienen un inventario más grande y precios más bajos, que le permite encontrar mejores ofertas. Esta presentación le dará una introducción general de las compras en línea usando un sitio popular, Amazon.com. Aprenderá cómo buscar por productos, hacer comparaciones y añadir artículos a la canasta de compras.
- Cómo Usar el Zoom: Miércoles, 11 de noviembre, 11 a.m.- noon. Únase a este programa para una orientación, preguntas y respuestas sobre el uso del software de videoconferencia Zoom como participante. ¡Aprenda las funciones disponibles para chatear por video con amigos y familiares, y tome clases virtuales con Senior Planet! Zoom funciona con los sistemas operativos iOS, Android y Windows. Puede utilizar Zoom en su navegador o puede descargar la aplicación en sus dispositivos. No necesita una cuenta de Zoom para unirse a una llamada o chatear.
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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Release ID: 20-669
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-205-1915