Free Online Classes For Montgomery County Seniors: Nov. 9-13

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 Nov. 9 to 13, participants will learn how to spend less money on energy and navigate person-to-person online payment services.

Courses are also offered in Spanish.

Take a look:

Tech and Energy

• When: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 3-4 p.m.
• Description: 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

• When: Thursday, Nov. 12, 4-5 p.m.
• Description: 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

• When: Friday, Nov. 13, 11 a.m.-noon
• Description: 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)

• Cuando: Lunes, 9 de noviembre, 11 a.m.-noon
• Descripción: 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

• Cuando: Miércoles, 11 de noviembre, 11 a.m. - noon
• Descripción: 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.

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.