Free Online Classes For Montgomery County Seniors: Oct. 27-30

Alessia Grunberger
·3 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 Oct. 27-30, participants will learn how to choose a new computer, initiate a Zoom video conferencing call, and use online food delivery apps.

Courses are also offered in Spanish.

Take a look:

Smart Thermostats

  • When: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 3-4 p.m.

  • Description: October is Energy Action Month. Learn about lowering heating and cooling bills using programmable and smart thermostats. For example, learn the benefits of installing a programmable or smart thermostat and the availability of incentives like rebates through the Empower Maryland program. Smart thermostats can be integrated into a smart home and controlled through apps and smart home hubs like Alexa and Google Home.

How to Choose a New Computer

  • When: Thursday, Oct. 29, 4-5 p.m.

  • Description: This informational session addresses some of the most common questions surrounding how to choose a new computer: Where to start? What's a reliable brand? How much should you budget? What technical specifications? Learn about operating systems and compare alternatives to the traditional computer, e.g. tablets and Chromebooks.

Food Delivery Applications

  • When: Friday, Oct. 30, 11 a.m.-noon

  • Description: Ordering food from home is now easier than ever thanks to the Internet. Lecture provides an overview of the most popular food delivery apps, such as Seamless. Learn about the pros and cons of food delivery applications, how to search for new restaurants and how to leave a tip and rating.

Zoom Questions and Answers

  • When: Friday, Oct. 30, 2-3 p.m.

  • Description: Lecture is designed for beginner Zoom users. For those who have attended other sessions on Zoom and could use a bit more help, this lecture on using Zoom videoconferencing will be a great fit. Zoom works with iOS, Android and Windows operating systems. Zoom can be used in a browser, or through the app on a device. A Zoom account is not required to join this lecture.

Clase en Español:

Todo Sobre Pagos de Pagos en Pares

  • Cuando: Miércoles, 28 de octubre, 11 a.m.- noon

  • Descripción: ¿Tiene curiosidad por saber más sobre el uso de los servicios de pago de persona a persona (P2P)? Los servicios populares como PayPal, Venmo y CashApp pueden hacer que sea conveniente enviar y recibir dinero instantáneamente al vincular una tarjeta de crédito o una cuenta bancaria. ¡Únase a este programa para obtener respuestas a todas sus preguntas P2P!

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