Free Online Classes For MoCo Seniors: May 18-22

Alessia Grunberger
·4 min read

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 18 to 22, classes will center around Zoom, the popular video conferencing platform, streaming and Smart TVs, telemedicine, podcasts, and online bill paying.

Courses are also offered in Spanish.

Take a look:

Streaming and Smart TVs

  • When: Monday, May 18, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

  • Description: Presentation will give an introduction to streaming: what it is, how to use it and the variety of content available. It also will address how to watch live TV without cable and how smart TVs and streaming devices allow users to watch videos from the Internet on their television.

All Things Zoom

  • When: Tuesday, May 19, 2-3 p.m.

  • Description: Learn how to use Zoom video conferencing to chat with friends and family—and how to take virtual classes with Senior Planet.

Online Bill Paying

  • When: Wednesday, May 20, 11 a.m.-noon

  • Description: Learn how to set up an online account with a utility company and explore its many advantages, including automatic bill paying and paying with a credit card or directly from a bank account.

How to Initiate a Zoom Meeting

  • When: Wednesday, May 20, 4-5 p.m.

  • Description: Addresses having and using a Zoom account: how to create an account, create a meeting, share meeting details, invite participants and adjust meeting settings.

Telemedicine

  • When: Thursday, May 21, 11 a.m.-noon

  • Description: Lecture provides an overview of telemedicine options and focuses on exploring virtual medical appointments with your doctor in real-time. It also will offer advice about how best to prepare for a virtual visit, from questions to ask a doctor to concerns regarding connectivity, privacy and insurance.

Podcasts

  • When: Thursday, May 21, 4-5 p.m.

  • Description: Lecture will address these audio programs available on the internet: why people listen to them, where to find them and which ones have proven to be the most popular.

Las clases a ofrecerse durante Mayo 20-24 son las siguientes:

¡Reunión en linea! (All Things Zoom)

  • Cuando: Martes, 19 de Mayo. 11 a.m.-noon

  • 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!

Las aplicaciones de chat de vídeo (Video Chat Apps):

  • Cuando: Miércoles 20 de Mayo. 2-3 p.m.

  • Descripción: En esta presentación, descubrirá acerca de algunas aplicaciones de chat de vídeo de uso común, sin o de bajo costo, aprenderá sobre sus características y explorará consejos de chat de video para que pueda presentar el mejor de sí cuando esté en un chat de video.

Las Transmisiones en vivo y televisores inteligentes (Streaming & Smart TV's):

  • Cuando: Viernes 22 de Mayo. 10:30-11:30 a.m.

  • Descripción: Cada día, más y más personas están "cortando los cables" y cancelando sus suscripciones de cable. En vez de cable, más personas están usando servicios de "streaming" gratuitos o de bajo costo, como Youtube, Netflix, y Hulu, para ver sus programas y películas en línea. Aprenderá información general sobre "streaming:" qué es, cómo usarlo, y la variedad de contenido disponible. También aprenderá cómo ver programas en vivo por televisión, y cómo los televisores inteligentes y dispositivos que usan la transmisión en vivo o "streaming" le permite ver videos del internet con el televisor.

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.

This article originally appeared on the Germantown Patch