Free Online Classes For Montgomery County Seniors: April 6-9

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 April 6 to 9, participants will learn how to spot fake news, choose a new computer, and more.

Courses are also offered in Spanish.

Take a look:

Morning Stretch

• When: Tuesday, April 6, 10-10:30 a.m.
• Description: This daily class will guide you through 30 minutes of simple stretches and breathing meditations to help you start your day with a sense of calm. We start promptly so please try to join at least five minutes early, if possible!

Techie Tuesday: How to Choose A New Computer

• When: Tuesday, April 6, 5-6:15 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? We will also cover operating systems and compare alternatives to the traditional computer, e.g. tablets and Chromebooks.

How to Spot Fake News

• When: Wednesday, April 7, 4-5 p.m.
• Description: This lecture will provide a helpful explanation for the increase in the use of the term fake news, as well as give you some tools to evaluate news sources. We’ll also review popular fact-checking sites.

Introduction to Social Media

• When: Thursday, April 8, 12:45-1:45 p.m.
• Description: Social media sites make it easy to share content and connect with other people online. In this presentation, you'll get a general introduction to social media and learn about some of the more popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

La clase en Español:

Cómo proteger su información personal en línea

• Cuando: Martes, 6 de Abril, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
• Descripción: En esta presentación, aprenderá los pormenores de cómo proteger su información personal en línea. Exploraremos tácticas para mantenernos seguros en el ciberespacio, cómo navegar sitios de web de una manera segura, reconocer estafas del internet, y entender cuándo es apropiado-o no- compartir su información personal en línea.

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.