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 for Seniors Feb. 28– March 4 will include “P2P Payment Services” and “Online Shopping.”
In addition to classes in English, two classes will be taught in Spanish, and one class will be taught in Mandarin. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.
During the summer and fall program quarters, more than 3,000 participants joined 162 virtual programs hosted by Senior Planet Montgomery. This winter, 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 Feb. 28–March 4 will include:
- How to Choose a New Computer: Monday, Feb 28, 3-4 p.m. This informational session addresses some of the most common questions surrounding how to choose a new computer.
- P2P Payment Services: Tuesday, March 1, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Learn about some of the most popular P2P payment services, including PayPal, Venmo and Cash App.
- Online Shopping: Thursday, March 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Lecture will provide a general introduction to shopping online for everything from dish soap to groceries using the popular website Amazon.com.
- Lighting and Smartbulbs: Friday, March 4, noon-1 p.m. Lecture reviews common lighting terminology like watts and lumens and explains the differences between the many types of bulbs currently on the market
- Protecting Your Information Online 3/2, 12 - 1 p.m. 本次講座將涵蓋如何在網路上保護個人信息的詳細說明。我們將介紹在電子世界中保持安全的技巧，例如安全瀏覽、識別網路詐騙以及何時可以（或不可以）在線上分享您的個人信息。
- Protecting Your Personal Information Online: Wednesday, March 2, noon-1 p.m. This presentation will cover the ins and outs of how to protect your personal information online. It will cover tips for staying safe in cyberspace, like creating strong passwords, managing spam, how to recognize email and text scams, and when it is OK — or not — to share personal information online.
To sign up for the Senior Planet Montgomery newsletter, which includes detailed information about upcoming classes, go to https://seniorplanet.org/get-involved/newsletters/.
