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 May 26 to 29, classes will center around Zoom, the popular video conferencing platform, telemedicine, online banking applications, cybersecurity, and more.
Courses are also offered in Spanish.
Take a look:
Sending and Receiving Money with Zelle®
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When: Tuesday, May 26, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
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Description: Lecture will explain “P2P payments” and provide details about Zelle, a P2P payment service available in many online and mobile banking apps. Session will adress the everyday benefits of using Zelle and show how it is used through bank or credit union websites or mobile apps. Tips for using Zelle safely also will be offered. Senior Planet and Zelle have partnered to offer the lecture.
Protecting Your Personal Info Online
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When: Tuesday, May 26, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
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Description: Presentation will cover how to protect personal information online.
Good Morning Montgomery County
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When: Wednesday, May 27, 11 a.m.-noon
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Description: Join fellow Montgomery County residents for a morning hour chat. Learn about and share locally relevant tips and tricks.
All Things Zoom
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When: Wednesday, May 27, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
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Description: Learn how to use Zoom video conferencing to chat with friends and family — and how to take virtual classes with Senior Planet.
Online Shopping
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When: Wednesday, May 27, 4-5 p.m.
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Description: Lecture will provide a general introduction to shopping online using the popular website Amazon.com. Learn how to search for products, make comparisons and add items to an online shopping cart.
Internet of Things in Healthcare
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When: Thursday, May 28, 11 a.m.-noon
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Description: Learn about “telehealth” and how the medical industry is embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) technology to treat patients remotely. Session explores cutting-edge devices from smart hearing aids to ingestible sensors, as well as popular telehealth apps.
Lighting and Smartbulbs
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When: Thursday, May 28, 2-3 p.m.
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Description: Lecture reviews common lighting terminology such as watts and lumens and explains the differences between the many types of bulbs currently on the market. Learn which bulbs offer the most in terms of energy efficiency that can help lower utility bills.
How to Initiate a Zoom Meeting
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When: Friday, May 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
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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, invite participants and adjust meeting settings.
Las clases a ofrecerse durante Mayo 26-29 son las siguientes:
¡Reunión en linea! (All Things Zoom)
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Cuando: Martes, 26 de Mayo. 11 a.m.-noon
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Descripción: Únase a este programa en línea y reúnase con otros participantes de Senior Planet para aprender el arte de “conectarse” utilizando la tecnología. Utilizaremos un software de videoconferencia conocido como “Zoom”. ¡Zoom se puede usar para chatear con amigos y familiares, y tomar clases virtuales con Senior Planet!
Podcasts
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Cuando: Viernes 29 de Mayo. 2-3 p.m.
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Descripción: Los podcasts son una forma cada vez más popular de entretenimiento y una gran fuente de información sobre todo tipo de temas. En esta inteligentes, aprenderá más sobre estos programas de audio disponibles en Internet: por qué la gente los escucha, dónde puedes encontrarlos y cuáles son los más populares.
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 [email protected]
This article originally appeared on the Germantown Patch