Senior Planet Montgomery Free Online Classes for Seniors July 19-23 will Include Exploring Social Media and Digital Storytelling

For Immediate Release: Friday, July 16, 2021

Senior Planet Montgomery, a technology training program designed for County learners 50 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 19-23 will include Exploring Social Media and Digital Storytelling.

In addition to classes in English, one class during July 19-23 will be delivered in Mandarin. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.

During the winter and spring program quarters, more than 3,000 participants joined 142 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 week of July 19-23 will include:

• Introduction to Social Media: Tuesday, July 20, 11 a.m.– noon. Social media sites make it easy to share content and connect with other people online. In this presentation get a general introduction to social media and learn about some of the more popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
• Stop Wasting Money on Your Utility Bill: Tuesday, July 20, 3-4 p.m. Presentation will discuss the two primary ways to keep money. Lecture to cover the difference between conservation and efficiency and the benefits of using less energy.
• Google Workspace: Wednesday, July 21, 3-4 p.m. Learn about some of Google's most popular productivity tools that are for personal use, as well as work-related ones. This lecture will introduce Docs, Sheets, Slides, Photos, and Drive.
• Digital Storytelling Thursday, July 22, 11 a.m. – noon. Lecture covers digital tools to bring out your creativity. Explore ways to use social media like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to write and share stories. Learn about popular platforms like Enwoven and StoryCorps.
• Hello Montgomery: Thursday, July 22, 2-3 p.m. Join fellow MoCo residents for an hour of socializing.
• Messaging Apps: Thursday, June 22, 4-5 p.m: Learn about the most popular messaging apps that allow users to send texts for free when connected to WiFi and understand features of three widely-used apps: iMessages, Hangouts and WhatsApp.

Class in Mandarin:

• 「雲端儲存空間」開放問答室 (三), 7/21, Noon-1:00 p.m. EST. 歡迎您加入我們這場問答，開放討論您聆聽過關於 「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 Open Lab: 7/21, Noon-1 p.m. - Welcome to our Q+A session, 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: 21-564
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-205-1915
Categories: Senior