Over the past six months of teaching AI literacy, I’ve noticed something that surprises most people. It’s not fear that stops folks from thriving with AI. It’s not lack of intelligence or creativity. It’s something much simpler and more fixable: a gap in basic computer literacy.
I don’t say that to frustrate anyone or make you feel behind. I say it because once you see it, everything clicks into place.
Here’s what I mean. Someone joins the class excited to learn prompt engineering. They’re ready to go. But then we get to the moment where I say, copy this prompt and paste it into Claude. And I realize they don’t know how to do that. Not because they’re incapable. They just never had to learn it.
Think about it. How do you save a file? How do you know the difference between a Word document and a PDF? How do you find something you downloaded? These aren’t advanced skills. But if nobody ever showed you, you’re stuck. And if you’re stuck on copy and paste, you can’t even begin to engineer a proper prompt.
It’s like trying to cook without knowing where the stove is. The recipe doesn’t matter if you can’t find the heat.
The same thing happens with file management. Someone wants to organize their AI outputs, but they’re not sure how to create folders or move files around. Or they want to save something as a PDF but don’t know what that actually means or why it matters. Small things. But they compound.
Here’s the thing that really got me thinking about this: computer literacy used to be taught. It was part of education. But for a lot of people, especially in our Caribbean context, those opportunities either weren’t available or happened at a time when nobody knew they’d need it later. You weren’t supposed to need it. That was supposed to be handled. But now? Now it’s foundational. Not for yesterday’s world. For today’s.
And honestly, that’s not your fault. But it is your responsibility to fix it.
Because here’s the reality. AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT are powerful. But you can’t harness that power if the basics aren’t solid. You can’t troubleshoot a prompt that won’t work if you’re not sure whether you pasted it correctly. You can’t save your best outputs if you don’t know how to manage files. You’re fighting with the tool instead of using the tool.
So what do you do?
You go back. You fill the gap. And the good news is, there are free resources designed exactly for this. I’m not affiliated with any of these, and there’s no commission for me here. I’m just pointing you to what actually works.
GCF Global has been doing this for twenty years. They offer free, clear tutorials on Windows basics, Mac basics, file management, copy and paste, saving files, PDFs, all of it. No fluff. No condescension. Just straightforward lessons that treat you like an adult who’s ready to learn.
Alison also offers free computer literacy courses. Same energy. Same goal. You can move at your own pace, no shame, no judgment.
I’m not telling you this because you’re behind. I’m telling you this because I’ve watched what happens when someone fills this gap. Suddenly, they can focus on the actual AI part. They’re not wrestling with how to get the prompt into the tool. They’re experimenting. They’re iterating. They’re winning.
And that’s the whole point.
Your brain is ready for AI. Your creativity is there. Your business sense is sharp. The only thing standing between you and real progress is the foundation. So build it. Take a week. Work through these resources. Learn how your computer actually works.
Then come back and let’s engineer some prompts together.
You’ve got this.
