Senior Planet Montgomery Free Online Classes for Seniors May 3-7 will Include Spotify and Video Chat

For Immediate Release: Friday, April 30, 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 May 3-7 will include Spotify and Video Chat.

In addition to classes in English, one class during May 3-7 will be delivered in Spanish and one class will be delivered in Mandarin. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.

During the fall and winter program quarters, more than 3,000 participants joined 182 virtual programs hosted by Senior Planet Montgomery. This spring, 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 May 3-7 will include:

• Spotify: Tuesday, May 4, 11 a.m.– noon. In this lecture, learn about Spotify’s important features, including how to search for songs and create playlists. Learn how to follow friends and artists.
• Online Bill Pay: Tuesday, May 4, 3-4 p.m. In this hands-on workshop, learn how to set up an online account with a utility company and explore its many advantages, including automatic bill pay and paying with a credit card or from a bank account. Learn how to better understand a bill using the color charts and graphs.
• Video Chat: Thursday, May 6, 11 a.m.– noon. In this lecture, learn about commonly used, no or low-cost video chat apps, learn about their features, and explore video chat tips.
• Streaming and Smart TVs: Thursday, May 6, 4-5 p.m. Lecture 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.

Clases en Español:

• Lo básico de Instagram: Lunes, 3 de Mayo 11 a.m.- 12 del Mediodía. Usted ha escuchado sobre Instagram; ahora, ven a aprender sobre esta plataforma de red social visualmente-orientada, uno de los sitios de redes sociales más divertidos. Esta presentación ofrece un resumen de algunas de las características más populares de Instagram, y le dará una idea del uso de la aplicación.

Class in Mandarin:

• 雲端儲存空間 科技問答小棧 (Cloud Storage Tech Talk)(三), 5/5, Noon-1:00 p.m. EST. 歡迎您加入我們這場，論您聆聽過關於 「雲端儲存空間」講座中的疑惑。 關於「雲端儲存空間」的講座： 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:

• Cloud Storage Tech Talk: 5/5, Noon-1 p.m. EST. Welcome to join this Tech Talk, where we will openly discuss questions that came up for you in the Cloud Storage lecture. About the Cloud Storage lecture: 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/.

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Release ID: 21-291
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-205-1915
Categories: Senior