Senior Planet Montgomery Free Online Classes for Seniors Feb. 8-12 will Include Lighting and Smart Bulbs and How to Choose a New Computer

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 5, 2021

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 will Include Lighting and Smart Bulbs and How to Choose a New Computer.

In addition to classes in English, two classes during Feb. 8-12 will be delivered in Spanish and one class will be delivered in Mandarin. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.

During the summer and fall program quarters, more than 4,000 participants joined 213 virtual programs hosted by Senior Planet Montgomery. This winter, 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 Feb. 8-12 will include:

• Lighting and Smart Bulbs: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 3-4 p.m. Lecture reviews common lighting terminology like watts and lumens and explains the differences between the many types of bulbs currently on the market. Learn which bulb offer the most in terms of energy efficiency that can help lower a utility bill. Additionally, explore the benefits of smart bulbs and smart lighting and how they can be controlled through applications and smart home hubs like Alexa and Google Home.
• Streaming and Smart TVs: Thursday, Feb. 11, 4-5 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.
• How to Choose a New Computer: Friday, 5, 11 a.m.-noon. 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 should you budget? Also addresses technical specifications.

Clases en Español:

• Aplicaciones Para La Atención Plena: Lunes, 8 de Febrero. 11 a.m.- 12 p.m. La atención plena es la habilidad de estar plenamente presente y consciente. Puede practicar la atención plena a través de actividades sencillas. Esta presentación introduce la atención plena y sus beneficios físicos y mentales, por ejemplo, cómo reducir la ansiedad, mejorar la memoria y bajar la presión arterial. Aprenderá sobre aplicaciones populares que enseñan técnicas de respiración y meditación, también sobre nueva tecnología como los monitores de respiración portátiles y las colchonetas inteligentes para yoga.
• Todo Sobre Aplicaciones Para La Atención Plena: Miércoles, 10 de 11 a.m.- 12 p.m. ¿Tienes curiosidad por saber más sobre Aplicaciones Para la Atencion Plena? ¿Quiere practicar sus habilidades de meditación? ¡Únase a este programa para responder todas sus preguntas acerca de Aplicaciones Para la Atencion Plena!

Class in Mandarin:

• Cloud Storage 雲端儲存空間: (三), 2/10, 12:00pm- 1:00pm EST. 在這堂講座裡，您會學到雲端儲存空間的基礎摘要 ： 一款讓您以遠端方式存起檔案、圖片、和其他媒體的電腦科技，讓您以更方便、更可靠和更有保固性的方式收集您的重要資料。我們會一起討論雲端儲存空間是什麼、它為什麼是檔案收藏的未來趨勢、以及且示範一些近期給交費者最普遍的雲端儲存空間服務。

English Translation for Class in Mandarin:

In this lecture, you’ll learn the basics of cloud storage:  — a technology that lets you store documents, images, and other media files remotely while giving you greater accessibility, reliability, and protection for your important data. We’ll discuss what it is, why it’s the future of data storage, and demonstrate a few of the most popular services currently available to consumers.

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/.

# # #

 

Release ID: 21-086
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-205-1915
Categories: Senior