Free Online Classes For MoCo Seniors: June 15-19

GERMANTOWN, MD — Montgomery County seniors can take free online classes to learn how to better navigate life at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Senior Planet Montgomery, the county's technology training program for residents 60 and older, typically offers lectures, hands-on workshops, and multi-week courses at libraries and senior centers. But during this public health crisis, Senior Planet Montgomery is moving all its programming online.

Many of the online sessions will focus on online user-friendly tools and resources for seniors.

"More Montgomery County seniors are online than ever before," said Montgomery County Chief Information Officer Gail M. Roper. "The Senior Planet Montgomery programs provide a means for them to get more out of their internet availability, and we hope, more out of life overall. We have programs that are geared specifically to support the way seniors learn best — which makes so many things easier to understand."

Classes change on a weekly basis. From June 15-19, participants will learn how to initiate a Zoom video conferencing call, contact lawmakers online, and signing up for home internet service.

Courses are also offered in Spanish.

Take a look:

Person2Person Payments

• When: Monday, June 15, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
• Description: Learn about some of today's most popular P2P payment services, including PayPal, Venmo and Zelle. Class will cover some of the basic functions of these services, how they compare and tips for using them safely.

All Things Zoom

• When: Tuesday, June 16, 2-3 p.m.
• Description: Learn how to use Zoom video conferencing software to chat with friends and family and to take virtual classes with Senior Planet. Zoom works with iOS, Android and Windows operating systems. Zoom can be used in browsers or users can download the app on their devices. A Zoom account is not needed to join a call or chat.

Home Internet Access

• When: Wednesday, June 17, 2-3 p.m.
• Description: Lecture goes over basic information needed when signing up for home Internet service. Learn about discount programs that allow eligible seniors to get home internet at lower prices.

Lighting and Smartbulbs

• When: Thursday, June 18, 11 a.m.-noon
• Description: Lecture reviews common lighting terminology like watts and lumens and explains the differences between the types of bulbs currently on the market. Learn which bulb offers the most in terms of energy efficiency so utility bills can be lowered.

Contacting Lawmakers Online

• When: Thursday, June 18, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
• Description: Presentation will introduce "Countable" and show how to use it to identify Congressional representatives and Senators. Class will also detail how to send them messages about issues.

How to Initiate a Zoom Meeting

• When: Thursday, June 18, 2-3 p.m.
• Description: 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.

Las clases a ofrecerse durante Junio 16-19 son las siguientes:

El Dinero Importa (Money Matters)

• Cuando: Martes, 16 de Junio. 11 a.m.-noon
• Descripción: El internet puede abrir un mundo nuevo de ahorrando dinero y manejando sus finanzas. Esta presentación le dará un resumen del curso de Senior Planet, El Dinero Importa. Usted obtendrá una introducción a algunos de los temas que incluye en el curso, como banca en línea, manteniendo su información financiera segura y compras en línea. Aprenderá cómo usar el internet para ahorrar dinero en entretenimiento, en medicamentos bajo receta, y en productos cotidianos.

Cómo Detectar Noticias Falsas (How to Spot Fake News)

• Cuando: Viernes 19 de Junio. 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• Descripción: ¿Preocupado por las noticias falsas? En la era digital, cualquiera puede publicar cualquier cosa en Internet. Esta presentación le ofrece una explicación útil para el aumento en el uso del término noticias falsas, además de brindarle algunas herramientas para evaluar fuentes de noticias. También revisaremos sitios populares de verificación de hechos.

Click here to learn more about Senior Planet Montgomery and its virtual program offerings. You can also call and email the group at 240-753-0676 and mocoinfo@seniorplanet.org.