In a world of Battle Royale where killstreaks, competition, and XP are the central mechanical driving forces, it’s hard to imagine a group of patient fifth graders diligently learning good manners and fair play. Fortnite’s colorful and friendly gameplay is still all about destroying all your rivals and taking as much as you can for yourself. It’s played by millions, but if you want to teach kids good sports, Epic’s shooter might not be the best of its kind. Enter Laurie Weber, perhaps better known as Fortnite streamer “Slytrue48.”
A fifth-grade teacher from Indiana uses custom games in a multiplayer battle to set an example. It is forbidden to swear. Cooperation is essential. If you’re too competitive, he’ll say a sweet word and maybe sing “Get Griddy.” It all started with the children.
“I started teaching fifth grade five years ago and all they talked about was Fortnite.” – Weber – Or rather, RS. Weber explains. “Fortnite was relatively new back then. Since he had played WoW and Assassin’s Creed before, I said I’d give it a try and started watching Ninja. My son bought me my first game system that I could play Fortnite on. So, I had something to say to my students.
It took a few seasons – Weber says it was “terrible” when he first started playing Fortnite – but what started out as an easy way to communicate with his students suddenly began to grow. He hosted a Twitch show. The students came to watch. Very quickly, Fortnite became a useful tool in Weber’s training arsenal.
“Students think it’s cool,” he explains. “They ask me to dance and things like that. “Even my principal, when new kids come to school and she wants them in my class, she tells them I’m a player. Especially with some of the guys who play Fortnite, she gives me an instant connection that you normally wouldn’t have with them.”
Having firmly established herself as the “Professor of Fortnite,” Weber began to shape her streams around her fifth-, and sometimes younger, audience. Bravado is not necessary. Bullying is prohibited. First of all, there are positive aspects.
Through her one-on-one matches and the Fortnite community, Weber has become something of a director of online safety for the students at her school, the equivalent of a friendly battle royale teacher, overseeing the playgrounds. and basketball during lunch breaks.
“I put it this way: ‘We’ll be nice to each other,'” says Weber. “We will be good people. And we’re going to play Fortnite together.” Many children say: “I feel safe in your community. I feel like I can contact you if another child is bullying me.” They feel that someone is watching them. I always tell them they can come over and broadcast the snipe from grandma.
“The traditional streamer, despite being a new job, is a classic man,” Weber continues. “They go overboard with swearing and stuff. I don’t have many fans who like it, but when the kids come and play my way, I yell at them all the time. Did you see what he just did? It was incredible. Good job!’ They love it and have a great time.”
A consummate professional, while the students may follow Weber in Fortnite, she tries not to follow them. Kids can join their individual matches on the weekends and often bring their parents and grandparents to watch, though their lobby remains closed to all of their students.
As her community continues to grow (she has 413,000 followers on TikTok and is officially associated with Epic), Weber says that young children who don’t show up to her classes will approach her in the hallways at school and hand her a piece of paper with their labels on it. of player written. in that. It’s a testament to how streaming has helped Weber look good to her students, as well as the positive messages she strives to convey.
“I’m not angry that they killed me,” Weber explains. “I’ve seen some great guys come to my broadcast and say, ‘I’m better than you, 1 on 1!’ And I’m like, “Okay, you’re better than me.” Let’s play Fortnite.” And they completely transform into another child. He just suggests this place for fun.
“In addition, it is about teaching them to be good athletes; how nice it is to lose Because of the things we learn in soccer or swimming, these kids don’t want to play soccer or do outdoor sports. They want to play video games, but you still have to be a good athlete.”
In five years, Weber could retire from teaching and plans to pursue Fortnite streaming as a full-time profession. During this time, Weber also helped provide a safer and kinder online space for young people and taught his students about kindness and fair play.
“It’s helped me with students who may have their own issues and don’t have the best peer-to-peer skills,” says Weber. “I think we need to be more patient and meet the kids where they are. I know I learned from that.”
Check out our Fortnite tips and tricks guide if you want to be the best in your class. We’ve also got a preview of Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 2, as well as all the new Fortnite weapons to keep you up to date with your gameplay.
Source : PC Gamesn
