The class sounds good, a chance to try before you buy. I like wonderfil 40 wt rayon for quilting and find it gives definition and has a sheen. I use it for piecing but it's not a strong thread and if you have tension issues it will split.
For batting I mostly use quilters dream , request weight polyester which shows up quilting really well. I love the trapunto effect you can get with wool but I find you need close quilting or it can be too overwhelming. Works well to prevent creases when folded. Hobbs 80/20 is good too but I don't like polydown at all it's uneven nowadays.
Hope that helps. Oh and put machine quilting in the show technique search and you'll get loads come up.
Of course we all have different views on your questions