What Is MasterClass and Can You Use It for Homeschool?

Searching for online courses and find yourself wondering “what is MasterClass?” Wondering if it will work for homeschooling your kids? Read on to learn all about this valuable resource.

Do you ever ask yourself where to find the best information on any given topic? As a homeschool educator, we are always seeking the best curriculum resources. When choosing courses or teachers, these questions might arise:

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• Should I ask an expert in the field?
• Should I seek out an eyewitness account?
• Should I search for primary sources?

Well, what if I told you that MasterClass is the answer to all of the above? MasterClass is a leading platform for online courses on expert topics by the experts themselves.

With over 180+ courses in every popular niche, you can pursue learning about your passions with a course taught by award-winning and globally renowned experts in the field. These respected experts provide 2-4 hours worth of quality video lessons, divided into 10-15 minute chunks to help learn the material. 

If you are searching for a course to give you a foundation on a topic you are about to teach, or if your secondary education students are looking to research and gain knowledge on a topic, MasterClass is a great resource.

Interested in joining a MasterClass? You can click here to start searching for courses now. Read on for more information about what courses are available, how much it costs, and how to sign up.

What Courses Are Available in MasterClass?

No matter what type of course you are searching for, you’ll be able to find a master expert with a MasterClass. MasterClass offers a plethora of course topics ranging from:

• Food
• Design & Style
• Arts & Entertainment
• Music
• Business
• Sports & Gaming
• Writing
• Science & Tech
• Home & Lifestyle
• Community & Government
• Wellness
• Trending Topics

These topics lend themselves to a secondary education level, particularly for the high school student, but can also be used for you as a homeschool educator to gain a foundation for a topic you’ll be teaching.

To browse courses on the MasterClass website, follow these steps:

1. Head to our MasterClass Link by clicking Here.
2. Across the center top, you’ll find three tabs: All Categories, Search, and View Plans.
3. Click on Categories to peruse the list of topics offered.
4. Click on a Topic to open up a topic page.
5. Browse the courses available with different Master Experts on the given topic.

In addition to browsing the topics offered, you can answer the tailoring questions on the landing page. These questions ask a variety of focused questions to better funnel you to a topic such as:

• What brings you to MasterClass: To become a writer? (How about Salman Rushdie’s class on Storytelling and Writing?) To better improve your business skills (How about Chris Voss’s class on the Art of Negotiation?) To improve your style (how about Karla Welch’s class on Building and Owning Your Own Personal Style?) Etc.
• How much time would you like to spend learning each week:  30 minutes, 1-2 hours, more than 2 hours?

After answering these questions, MasterClass will reveal how many courses fit your needs. The courses will be labeled by the Master’s name and the course name (i.e.: “Malcolm Gladwell: Teaches Writing”).

How Much is MasterClass?

MasterClass is an annual subscription that is billed monthly. Depending on where you are located, state or national taxes may be incurred as well. Here are the payment plans and their values:

1. Individual Plan $180
2. Billed monthly as $15/month
3. One account & one device
4. Access to the entire library of 180+ courses
5. Cannot be downloaded

• Duo Plan $240
• Billed monthly as $20/month
• One account & two devices
• Access to the entire library of 180+ courses
• Can be downloaded

• Family Plan $276
• Billed monthly as $23/month
• One account & six devices
• Access to the entire library of 180+ courses
• Can be downloaded

With these prices, MasterClass also offers a free 30 day trial. Simply sign up for a plan that works best for you and your family. Then before your first 30 days are over, you can submit a refund request. You can read more about the 30 day refund request here.

Why Should You Use MasterClass in Your Homeschool?

Every homeschool educator is looking for ways to connect to their students in relevant and trendy ways. MasterClass keeps the education level rigorous with expert knowledge and eyewitness accounts from successful people in the fields of study today. These courses serve as primary sources for topics being studied and bring career aspirations to life.

Access to Experts

Many of these speakers are world renowned and typically speak only on live interviews, documentaries, or college commencements. You might never experience the lessons from the likes of:

• Dr. Jane Goodall
• Neil deGrasse Tyson
• Bill Nye
• President George W. Bush
• President Bill Clinton

Usually, this caliber of speakers is not accessible without paying enormous tuition fees to an accredited university. But with MasterClass, these experts in science, leadership, and business are suddenly available with a simple click.

Student Compatible Resources

In addition to bringing these experts to your fingertips at home, MasterClass now offers several academic resources to make homeschooling even easier. Check out these helpful MasterClass resources:

1. Downloadable Workbook: Many of the courses come with a downloadable workbook that is visually engaging and fits the speaker’s style. The great thing about the workbooks is that they don’t just recap what the video shared. Rather, the workbooks push the student further with additional information and detailed illustrations.

• Hands On Sessions with Trained Assistants: This is the community aspect to taking a class with other learners online. These sessions provide hands on projects to apply what’s being taught to the real world. The sessions are typically 30 days long and have structured due dates to keep the student moving forward. Teaching Assistants are available to answer questions and give feedback.

• Live Streams with the Experts: As listed in the MasterClass FAQ, some instructors do partner with MasterClass and host live Q&A sessions to provide opportunities for interaction. Though this isn’t a guarantee with many of the famous experts, it is a possibility.

Maybe you’re sold on using MasterClass, but aren’t sure how to implement the platform for your homeschool? Read on to learn more about how to use MasterClass successfully with your own homeschool students.

How Do You Use MasterClass in Your Homeschool?

MasterClass is a great way to present new information for students in the higher grade levels of secondary education or for teachers looking to build up a foundation for a particular topic.

Here are a few considerations about MasterClass for the homeschool educator:

• Because many of the lessons are in lecture style, older students are more likely to listen to a lecture and benefit from taking notes from these experts. Those are skills typically taught in secondary levels.
• These experts are sharing their real life and real world experiences which may need filtering for younger students. Luckily MasterClass provides a filter option during course selection.
• The Individual Plan can be used by showing a MasterClass video on a larger, shared device like a smart TV. Multiple students can watch the same video at once.
• The Family Plan can be used by giving several students different smaller devices to watch their own lesson. The Family Plan is the best value for a large family or multiple students.

All You Need is the Internet

To watch the videos, you simply need an internet-abled screen. You can stream from any tablet, tv, mobile, desktop, or streaming device. This makes MasterClass courses a curriculum that you can access on the go while on vacation, or in the comfort of your home. Learning from the best can happen anywhere!

Five Positives of MasterClass in the Homeschool Setting

Overall, these five positives make using MasterClass in your homeschool worth it:

1. The experts are popular and successful people alive today. When they share their insight, you know that their words are not just opinion, they are credible and tried.
2. The videos are well crafted and expertly done. They are engaging and visually pleasing, short and easy to digest.
3. The course is self paced. No need to get stressed out with finishing before a deadline.
4. The course topics cover a wide range of interests for many ages.
5. The cost is reasonable for the caliber of speakers. Normally speaking engagements would be in the thousands of dollars to hear what these experts have to say.

Ready to sign up for MasterClass yet?

MasterClass for Kids: Is It Safe and Appropriate?

First of all, it’s important to note that MasterClass is not aimed at younger kids. If you’re looking for programs for younger students, you’ll want to look at some of our other reviews for programs like Homeschool+ and Noggin.

However, I think you’ll find that MasterClass can work well for older kids, namely teenagers. There are plenty of topics they’ll likely find interesting, and probably some celebrities they’ve heard of.

But is MasterClass safe them? Well, it’s important to note that there is some mature content on MasterClass that you might not want your teen accessing. Namely, there’s a class called “Sex and Communication” aimed at mature audiences.

Luckily, there’s a setting in the profile section to hide mature content, as seen in the below screenshot.

That being said, remember that MasterClass is geared towards adults. So you may want to look through the classes and monitor your teens use of the app to ensure they’re taking the courses you approve of as their parent.

Where Can You Sign Up for MasterClass?

Does MasterClass seem like the perfect resource for your homeschool?

Would your teenagers enjoy experts such as professional athletes, former presidents, and grammy award winning artists teaching them weekly?

Imagine your students being excited to hear from athletes like Stephen Curry and Serena Williams, or Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice. What a unique learning opportunity to listen to the best basketball players on the topic of Basketball! How about learning Diplomacy from some of the world’s brightest negotiators and diplomats? MasterClass gives those exact courses.

Don’t pass up the opportunity to have access to some of the world’s best experts in their fields. Sign up for MasterClass by clicking here.  Remember that you have 30 days as a free trial in which you can receive a full refund if you’re not happy with the content provided.  

Judging from the high reviews and growing library of experts and courses, MasterClass is bound to be a winner for your homeschool.  Happy Learning!

Want to give the gift of MasterClass? Read our write up on the MasterClass Gift Subscription here.