Technology has disrupted expectations about the aging process and access to digital skills training advances equity in aging. Partnering with Senior Planet, Elder Services offers free in-person computer skills classes to adults aged60 and over. Contact Denise at 508-258-2299 or denise.magnett@escci.org to register for any of the lectures, workshops, classes listed here or to receive information about future offerings.
Senior Planet offers evidence-based curriculum developed by Older Adults Technology Services (OATS). For twenty years, OATS has been working collaboratively with seniors to measure, evaluate and improve the effectiveness of their content and methods. Senior Planet operates in partnership with AARP. This free program is partially underwritten by generous grants from the Comcast/NBC/Universal Foundation, the Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation and the Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod Charitable Foundation.
COMPUTER ESSENTIALS
This free course will cover the essentials of how to use the basic functions of a personal computer, how to safely navigate the internet, how to organize electronic files, how to send and receive email, and much more. By the end of the course, you’ll have a foundation for using a computer and the internet to enrich your life!
PRE-REQUISITES: None. This course is designed for people who have never used a computer or have very little experience and want a solid introduction.
- Barnstable Adult Community Center, 825 Falmouth Road, Hyannis
- Mondays and Fridays for 5 weeks beginning May 5, 2025
- 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
- Mashpee Senior Center, 26 Frank Hicks Drive, Mashpee
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 5 weeks beginning May 13, 2025
- 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
TECH RESOURCES FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
Digital tools and technologies have become very important and even necessary to our everyday lives. By the end of this free 5-week course, you will be able to use a variety of resources to make your life easier, from managing everyday tasks to communicating with others. You will use the internet to explore your interests and passions, connect with others, and even contact your lawmakers. You will also learn best practices for staying safe in the digital world and managing your privacy and security settings in the Chrome browser. This course is a great opportunity to meaningfully practice skills that you learned in a Basics or Essentials course. PRE-REQUISITES: You should have taken a Basics or Essentials course for your device or be familiar enough with your device to use it independently in class. You must also have an email address.
Sandwich Center for Active Living, 70 Quaker Meetinghouse Rd, Forestdale
- Meets Tuesdays 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. and Wednesdays 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
- Five weeks beginning on April 1, 2025
SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY
This 5-week course explores the basics of using your smartphone’s digital camera. You’ll learn how to take pictures, where they’re stored on your device, and how to delete them. You’ll also go over tips for taking selfies, recording videos, and sharing your photos! This course also introduces some fundamental photography principles about composition and lighting.
PRE-REQUISITES: You will need to bring your own smartphone for tis course, so you should be somewhat comfortable using it. You must bring an iPhone running iOS 9 or later or an Android running OS 9 or later to participate.
- Provincetown Council on Aging, 2 Mayflower Street, Provincetown
- Mondays and Thursdays for 5 weeks beginning March 3, 2025
- 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
ALL ABOUT FITNESS APPS
Do you think that fitness apps are only for athletes? This lecture covers many different types of fitness apps, whatever your health and wellness goals. We’ll discuss apps that can help you track your nutrition and activity, plan your workouts, stay motivated and even get better sleep. You’ll learn about the benefits of fitness apps and popular apps in each category. Learn how fitness apps can help you track and conquer your goals!
- Orleans Senior Center, 150 Rock Harbor Rd, Orleans
- Wednesday, March 26 at 10:00 a.m.
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media sites make it easy to share content and connect with other people online. In this presentation you’ll get a general intro to social media and learn about some of the more popular social media sites like Facebook, X, and TikTok. Social media is everywhere these days. We’ll introduce you to the most popular platforms!
- Orleans Senior Center, 150 Rock Harbor Rd, Orleans
- Wednesday, April 9 at 10:00 a.m.
STREAMING AND SMART TVs
Every day, more and more people are “cutting the cord” and canceling their cable subscriptions. Instead, they’re using free or low-cost streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu to watch their favorite shows and movies online. This presentation will introduce streaming: what it is, how to use it, and the variety of content available. You’ll also learn how to watch live TV without cable and how smart TVs and streaming devices can let you watch videos from the Internet on your television. Are you paying for TV channels you don’t watch? Learn why people are “cutting the cord” and using streaming services instead!
- Harwich Council on Aging, 100 Oak Street, Harwich
- Tuesday, April 8 at 1:00 p.m.
- Orleans Senior Center, 150 Rock Harbor Rd, Orleans
- Wednesday, April 23 at 10:00 a.m.
